Korea packs some dope exports, like Samsug, Korean BBQ Chicken and K-pop. However none of them compare to Korean beauty products. K-beauty has been the buzz word in the industry for some time now and this longevity should make one thing clear, Korean beauty is worth the hype....
I recently asked Poppy Greenwood, Founder of Glow Mo, why Korean beauty continues to be so popular. "The approach throughout Asia is very much focused around natural ingredients, protecting the skin and prevention over cure" Poppy explained. "Skincare education is also excellent in South Korea. Children are being taught how to understand and look after their skin from a young age, enabling them to handle skin problems without panicking and reaching for harsh products. These smart consumers then force brands to work harder, making the market more competitive - which makes the products better and the prices more affordable."
Now, if you know anything about Korean skincare, you'll know that cute af packaging is quite common. Product names can also be bizarre and the products themselves can contain ingredients that beg the question, "what the actual fuck?". However don't for a second get to thinking Korean beauty is simply fun, novelty bullshit. These products may scream kooky but, at their core, they are creatively designed, expertly manufactured and - most importantly - proven to give great results. As Poppy Greenwood says, "Seoul is the skincare capital of the world right now due to the level of innovation coming out of the city. Because of Seoul's crazy and intense beauty culture, R+D teams (some of which receive government funding) are always searching for the next big thing or trying to improve existing hero products through the development of new technologies.
Lucky for us British bitches, Korean beauty products are accessible in the UK. Birchbox has a great selection of K-beauty products and two of my favourites include the Keeome Hydration Therapy Mask and Skin 79 Super+ Beblesh Balm.
The Keeome Hydation Therpay Mask (£35 birchbox.co.uk) is a sheet mask that contains morus alba extract, an ingredient extracted from the white mulberry tree used for thousands of years for its medicinal and healing properties. The sheet mask is saturated in an amazing serum that is designed to hydrate the skin, whilst leaving it revitalised and radiant. The sheet mask technology also creates a barrier on top of the serum to reduce contact with air, meaning more absorption and better results! I leave the mask on for around 30 minutes and rinse away any excess left behind after removal. I suffer from dehydrated skin and find this bad boy really helps. It's so good that I'm praying the brand bottles up the serum and sells it separately!!
As for the SKIN79 Super+ Beblesh Balm SPF30 (£22.90 birchbox.co.uk), this is, by far, one of the best BB creams I've ever tried. It provides medium coverage that is able to cover acne and pigmentation really well. Its consistency is slightly thicker than most BB creams I've tried in the past, however don't be put off by this if you have sensitive skin - it doesn't cause any irritation! It works well on all skin types and ages and even contains SPF 30, keeping your skin protected throughout the day. If you suffer from rosacea, I would really recommend giving this one a try!
One of the best destinations for Korean beauty in the UK is glowmo.co.uk. The online beauty destination offers up a small, high quality edit of curated Korean beauty products (all of which go through serious testing at Glow Mo HQ). The site was born out of Poppy Greenwood's love for the Korean philosophy of 'skincare first'. It is a beauty culture she admires and believes in, so sharing it with the Brits felt like an obvious mood. What I love most about Glow Mo is that it offers up complete transparency, letting customers know what a product does, what ingredients it includes and how you should use it.
I have a few Korean beauty favourites that can be found at glowmo.co.uk, including the Mizon Egg White Bubble Cleanser, TONYMOLY Banana Sleeping Pack and Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol.
The Mizon Egg White Bubble Cleanser (£15 glowmo.co.uk) is a gentle cleanser that leaves skin feeling clean and fresh without feeling stripped. I have never used this cleanser to remove makeup, so I can't speak on its abilities in that area, however as far as I'm concerned, foam cleansers should never be used to remove makeup anyway (they're never going to work as quickly or efficiently as balm or oil cleansers). The Egg White Bubble Cleanser applies like a dream, has a nice subtle scent and rinses away with no hassle. My skin is left cleansed and hydrated after using - it's that egg-cellent.
The Cosrx Natural BHA Skin Returning A-Sol (£16 glowmo.co.uk) is a toner that preps your skin after cleansing, ready for the application of more heavy duty products. It does a great job at hydrating the skin and contains natural exfoliants that remove dead skin cells, dirt, pollution and excess oil to keep skin clear and bright. For these reasons, the Skin Returning A-Sol is considered to be a great spot treatment and I have to agree. It isn't a miracle worker that removes spots overnight, however it keeps acne at bay by reducing redness and inflammation and speeding up the life cycle of a spot.
Finally we have the Banana Sleeping Pack (£14 glowmo.co.uk)... a product I love so fucking much it hurts. I have a thing about bananas (what girl doesn't...). I love the smell and taste, so when I found out this moisturiser smells just like bananas, I couldn't have been more desperate to try it. The scent is pure joy, however it is just one of the Banana Sleeping Pack's many benefits. It has a lovely thick consistency, applies beautifully and feels amazing on the skin (very lightweight considering it has a thick consistency). Oh and it absorbs quickly which is super important... there is nothing worse than getting product on the pillow. If you love both bananas and a good nourishing moisturiser, you have to try this!