Korean Beauty: Skincare 2021

Lately I’ve been making some fairly serious posts lately regarding things like racism, missing perspectives of biological families and adoptees in the adoption space, and similar. I know for many these topics are not why you are reading my blog. Or, if they are, it can be a bit emotionally or mentally burdensome. While these serious topics are intrinsic to the KAD experience, they are parts of the greater whole. So, for today’s blog post, I thought I’d focus on something a little more “fun” that many people (including non Asians, non Koreans, non KADs) can relate to… Korean Beauty (K-Beauty) and skincare.

As many folks will tell you, skincare is an extremely important aspect of K-Beauty. Unblemished, pale, supple, and dewy skin is vital to being considered attractive in Korea regardless of age or gender. Because of this, slews of cleansing products, exfoliants, serums, essences, moisturizers, sunscreens, whitening/brightening products, face masks, foundations, concealers, and other skin-appearance oriented products are readily available within the country. Spas and beauty businesses (including cosmetic surgery establishments) offer many skin-oriented services. Having imperfections like moles, veins, freckles, surface-level blood vessels taken care of is extremely common in Korea. New daily self-skincare regimens come and go frequently, as do the popular ingredients best aimed at beautiful, healthy skin.

As noted in NCBI’s article Characteristics and management of Asian skin (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30039861/#:~:text=Asians%20are%20a%20population%20with,of%20Ota%2C%20and%20Hori%20nevus), Asians have a wide range of skin phototypes (ranging from type III typically seen in east-Asians such as Koreans through type V typically seen in south-western Asians such as Indians). Common issues in Asian skin include “postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, melasma, lentigines and freckles, nevus of Ota, and Hori nevus”. While issues like wrinkles and skin thickness variance are common early signs of aging present in other populations, especially Caucasian, these indicators are less evident for those with Asian skin. However, Asians tend to see more pigmentary changes earlier. Because of the issues that tend to be more present for those with Asian skin-types, Korean skincare products and regimens tend to focus on blemish, pigmentation, and overall skin-tone and clarity accordingly.

As I mentioned in previous blog posts, growing up in the USA or another white-dominant, Western-European country as a non-white person, I often ran into challenges finding beauty products (skin, hair, makeup) that worked for me. Whether too harsh or abrasive, made for skin-tones different than my own, or simply addressing or ignoring issues relevant to me or my Asian skin-type, I struggled for decades with finding a skincare regimen and accessible products that didn’t make my skin worse. With the rise of K-Pop, K-Culture, and K-Beauty in recent years, the availability of products and practices tailored to an East-Asian like myself has been extremely gratifying. As a KAD especially, whom never had other Asians in my family to turn to for beauty advice, it has felt like a huge window into feeling good about myself and targeted self-care that others have taken for granted.

So! Let’s talk skincare. What do I currently do? What are my favorite products? Where do I obtain them?

Before diving in, I am a type III skin phototype. What I do, my favorite products, and where I obtain them are all impacted by my personal skin-type and needs. I cannot speak about other skin-types. I do not have experience with skin-types more commonly found in mixed race KADs, which I consider to be under-represented in both Western and Korean beauty and skincare industries. I’m relatively light (especially in fall and winter) and I tan fairly easily in the sun. I have combination-oily skin, am acne prone (I’ve had acne since I was an infant and still get pimples in my mid-30s), I freckle easily, I have moles, and have some areas of my face with larger pores. I do not currently have issues with obviously thinning, sagging, or wrinkled skin. The products and the skincare regimen that I use work for me after trial and error. They may not be optimal for you, so please keep that in mind!

What do I currently do? I follow the Korean “10-Step-Method”. In case you have not heard of the “10-Step-Method”, here’s a quick overview.

10-Step-Method
1) Make-Up Removal and Oil Cleanser
2) Water-Based Cleanser
3) Exfoliator
4) Toner
5) Essence
6) Treatment(s)
7) Sheet Mask(s)
8) Eye Cream
9) Moisturizer
10) Sun Protection

When I first started doing this regimen I found that it really added time to my morning prep. It can feel like a lot, especially if you tend to be short on time or patience in the morning or night. I do not strictly adhere to each step every morning and night. Instead, I adjust the steps and products to match my personal needs on a daily, monthly, or seasonal basis. I never skip steps 1/2 (Cleansing), 4 (Toning), 9 (Moisturizer), or 10 (Sun Protection). If I had to only choose two steps, I’d take Cleansing and Sun Protection by a wide margin.

What are my favorite products? I’ve tried a vast number of skincare products to date. In order to keep this somewhat short, I’ve listed my standard “go-to’s” for each step of the “10-Step-Method”. That said, I’ve tried, and loved, products outside of what I’m sharing here. This is especially true of face masks which I absolutely love. If you have any favorites, or questions about a product, please feel free to share in the comments!

My Product Line-Up
1a) Make-Up Removal: Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover or Etude House Lip & Eye Remover
1b) Oil Cleanser: Then I Met You Living Cleaning Balm or Hanskin BHA Pore Cleansing Oil
2) Water-Based Cleanser: Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser or Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser (Bonus Foam Cleanser: Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser)
3) Exfoliator: Dr. Oracle 21; STAY or Glossier solution
4) Toner: acwell Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner, Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner, or Clinique clarifying lotion #3
5) Essence: acwell Licorice pH Balancing Essence Mist or NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Essence
6) Treatment(s): good (skin) days C’s The Day Serum or NEOGEN Dermalogy Real Ferment Micro Serum
7) Sheet Mask(s): Dr. Althea Herb Therapy Velvet Mask or Medicube Collagen Lifting Mask
8) Eye Cream: Etude House moistfull Collagen
9) Moisturizer: SKINRx LAB MadeCera Cream or tarte drink of H2O
10) Sun Protection: NEOGEN Dermalogy Advanced Sun Safety Solution for Sensitive Skin or Papa Recipe Bombee Honey Moist Sun Essence

Where do I obtain them? I’ve found that most of these products, especially the American/European ones, are easily found at Sephora, ULTA, a department store (like Macy’s), drug store or by doing a simple Google search. However, for more specialty items, finding a retailer that specializes in Asian or Korea Beauty/Makeup/Skincare makes things much easier. Some of my go-to’s for Asian or K-Beauty products include the following (in no particular order).

My Preferred (Online) Asian or K-Beauty Retailers
a) SOKO Glam – https://sokoglam.com/
b) Etude House – https://www.etude.com/int/en/index.php/new.html
c) Akoco – https://akoco.com/

Well, that’s about all I have for now regarding K-Beauty and how I loop it into my skincare habits. I hope you’ve enjoyed the post! I wish you the best as you explore Korean skincare products and regimens. If you find that certain products or processes are especially interesting, please feel free to share in the comments or by reaching out.

Until next time!

사랑해요 ❤ I love you