The trend of K-beauty (Korean Beauty)

Editorial Lifestyle

What is the secret to beautiful Korean Skin

We all want to look young, beautiful and handsome. With the help of technological advancement as well as a group of dermatologists, we are able to look much younger than our previous generations. Korea has been gaining lots of popularity in cosmetics since Korea offers  top quality cosmetics. Korea is the third largest exporter of cosmetics followed by France and the U.S. This is because Korea has evolved by investing heavily on R&D to find the best combination of ingredients as well as studying new ingredients to provide the best outcome for our skin.

We are more aware of the ingredients that go in our cosmetics. Let’s take a look at a few trends of K-beauty.

A focus on "low-irritation" cosmetics


The current trend is that we are moving away from "immediate effect" cosmetics to "low-irritation longer lasting" cosmetics. This is because "immediate effect" can have side-effects. Too much of good things is not always the best. So consumers are moving towards products that work gradually to minimize potential side-effects.

Mild retinols


Retinol is one of the most effective skincare ingredients that works like magic, as it prevents wrinkles, brightens skin and minimizes breakouts. But like all good things, this ingredient also needs to be used in moderation. Korean products are now using retinol but in lesser potencies as it decreases the risk of overwhelming the skin without changing the results. Now, the combination of retinol and cica as one lotion has been gaining lots of popularity.

Cica products


Cica, also known as tiger grass, has been gaining popularity in recent years. Cica was first found when people saw tigers rolling on a specific plant every time its skin has a wound on its skin. Whn dermatologists studied why, they found out that cica heals the skin. Cica cream is perfect to put on your skin after any laser treatment.  

Microneedle patches


We all know that anything that we put on our skin, regardless of how good it is, we truly cannot penetrate deeply into our dermis. Therefore, it just sits on our outer skin. This is where microneedles can come in handy. Small microneedles which melt into your skin are an effective way to somewhat go deeper into your skin reaching further down. Microneedle itself varies in ingredients so you can use them accordingly. Small patches work great for blemishes or acne. 

Carrot seed oil


Carrot seed oil has been used in K-beauty for more than 10 years. But it has been gaining lots of attention recently because it contains vitamin A and is a great antioxidant. It is anti-aging, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory and ideal for anyone looking to brighten their skin. The oil has been in demand since major K-Beauty brands adapted it into their skincare line. Nowadays, they come in different products like patches and cream.

Final thought


Using the least to get the most is what we are seeing these days. This means you only layer a maximum of 3 products but carefully choose which ingredients. Consumers are becoming savvy and smart and thanks to Youtube as well as other media, people are becoming more enlightened as to what goes in the products.