Can you imagine the world without best Korean skincare out there? If it wasn’t for Korean studies on ingredients for our skin, the West wouldn’t have nearly all the information we have now about what really works. K-Beauty is lightyears ahead of others when it comes to caring for the skin, and that’s why I’m always ready to take notes when it comes to new Korean skincare trends, tips and tricks, and products. I can’t imagine the world without the influence of Korean beauty, and I sure don’t want to start. If you’re not so sure why K-Beauty has gotten so mainstream over the years around the world, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the best Korean skincare trends and products.
Why Should You Check Out Korean Skincare?
Recently, more and more people have started to use Korean skincare products. As a result, K-Beauty products have been selling like hotcakes all around the world. Why? Let us explain. Korean skincare is known across the globe for using new, innovative, and cutting-edge in their skincare products. K-Beauty is supported by decades of scientific studies, and the popular ingredients in our skincare that we know and love are often first used in Japanese and Korean skincare before making their way to America. Koreans are masters for taking care of their skin, as their culture puts a lot of emphasis on healthy skin. Now, the rest of us are just following their lead.
The Best Korean Skincare Trends
The Korean influence on beauty trends around the world is no new phenomenon. While the best Korean skincare products are imported straight from Korea, we are also taking notes of their popular trends and the infamous 10-step skincare ritual (we’ll get to that later). Here are some of the most popular and best Korean skincare trends from the last few years:
- Layering AHAs and BHAs: Korean skincare products include the perfect balance of AHAs and BHAs to exfoliate dead skin cells while making sure to not irritate your skin. With these plant and animal-derived acids, these products can help us attain super smooth skin.
- Mirror Skin: To achieve mirror skin, Koreans often use niacinamide in their products as it brightens their skin while they moisturize. This way, they can reduce dullness and get a dewy, reflective glow in their skin.
- Double Cleansing: We’ll break this down more below, but K-Beauty trends often follow the idea of double cleansing and double seruming. By doing so, we can target various skin concerns at the same time, make sure we’ve completely cleansed the skin, and make sure our skin gets the hydration it needs.
- Carrot Seed Oil: If it wasn’t for Korean skincare trends, I wouldn’t know how amazing carrot seed oil is! It’s been used in Korean products for over a decade because it’s full of Vitamin A, antioxidants, antiaging, and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Jelly Skin: So, you’ve heard of mirror skin, glass skin, and cream skin – but what about jelly skin? This term basically describes the trend of using Korean skincare products with a liquid, almost jelly-like texture to achieve bouncy, hydrated skin.
The 10-Step Korean Skincare Ritual
While it’s not necessary for everyone to have a really long morning or nighttime skincare ritual, the Koreans always take skincare to the next level. In this case, Korean skin-thusiasts created the famous 10-step ritual to emphasize cleansing, toning, clarifying, hydrating, smoothing, and treating the skin. To incorporate the 10-step ritual in your life, you don’t need to have the most expensive or the best Korean skincare products ever. All that matters is that you’re using them and layering the products in the correct order. Let’s break down these 10 steps some more:
- Take off your makeup with a gentle makeup remover and follow-up with an oil-based cleanser to rid your skin of excess oil or leftover SPF.
- Use a water-based cleanser to cleanse the skin of sweat and dirt.
- Use a non-abrasive exfoliator to get rid of old, dead skin. Let your skin breathe!
- Use a toner to prepare your skin for more layers of hydration.
- Use an essence or a light-weight serum
- Use any treatment you have for acne spots or dark spots
- Put on a sheet mask to hydrate the skin
- Use an eye cream to reduce puffiness, smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, and brighten the under eyes.
- Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
- If you’re doing your ritual in the daytime, put on your SPF to avoid excess sun exposure.
The Best Korean Skincare Products
Many people often assume that Korean beauty products are not vegan or cruelty-free because they have been known to contain ingredients like bee venom, honey, and snail extract. However, that’s not always the case. Recently, Korean companies have actually made a move to make their skincare products completely cruelty-free to cater to more consumers. Luckily, there are a ton of resources out there to find cruelty-free Korean beauty products. To help you pick out the best Korean skincare products on the market right now, here’s a list of some cruelty-free and vegan Korean beauty brands:
- Cruelty-Free and Vegan
- Re:p – This brand is great for those of us with sensitive skin, as they only use natural ingredients. Plus, they use eco-friendly packaging!
- A·True – These Korean skincare products are great for all skin moods, as they use the power of black tea to provide our skin with much-needed antioxidants.
- WithMy – Did someone say all-natural ingredients? We love this brand, and they have a certification from the Vegan Society.
- Cruelty-Free (Non-Vegan)
- Klairs – Klairs was specifically formulated for skin-thusiasts that have sensitive skin. Taking a simple approach to skincare, these are some of the best Korean skincare products out there since they only use essential ingredients that will strengthen the skin.
- Cosrx – While Cosrx isn’t vegan, their products are still great for the skin because they include ingredients for chemical exfoliation.
- Benton – Products from Benton are often called must-haves because they only use fresh and natural ingredients.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to skincare, Koreans definitely know the best, tried and true ingredients that can work for everyone and anyone. With their scientifically-proven studies, achieving healthy skin with the best Korean skincare out there is achievable as long as you’re consistent. Try it out for yourself and see the significant changes that Korean beauty will make to your skin!
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