Editor’s Note: We reviewed this article on September 22, 2023. As per our editorial policy, we are constantly updating our content, to make sure it reflects the best of the best when it comes to beauty, wellness, and fashion. We want to assure our readers that we still stand by our recommendations, which we do.
I can admit I have an obsession with skincare—I love testing the latest products and innovations. I want my skin to feel hydrated and look glowy all the time. Is that too much to ask? Here's the gist: I suffered from a tough case of eczema when I was a young girl, and I could only use products prescribed by my doctor. Fortunately, that cleared up as I got older, and my skin is far less sensitive. Now, I have a little more room to test formulas through trial and error.
My skincare products mainly consist of anything that my favorite "skinfluencers" Caroline Hirons, Tiara Willis, and Hyram Yarbo suggest. Like many of us, I love everything about K-Beauty—from the packaging, ingredients, and results but I had never actually tried any products.
With so many products available, everything tends to feel a little overwhelming, and sometimes it can be unclear where to begin. After a few hours of research, I decided to purchase $200 worth of K-Beauty products from Beauty & Seoul. "Customers are getting more clued up about formulations and ingredients, which are a huge focus in South Korean skincare products. BB creams, sheet masks, essences, etc., are all South Korean inventions, and as more people learn this, they realize how advanced these products are," founder Maree Kinder says.
I was then fortunate enough to participate in a Zoom skincare consultation with celebrity esthetician, Korean beauty expert, and founder of Peach & Lily, Alicia Yoon. Though it was virtual, we covered all the same elements of an in-person consultation. Yoon started by asking me questions relating to my skin type and current routine. I let her know that I wanted my skin to look less dull and more radiant.
After our consultation, Yoon then compiled a list of Peach & Lily products to help me achieve my skin goals. "Your current skincare routine is in a good place, but what I’m recommending is more focused on providing a little bit more of that extra hydration, nourishment, and radiance-boosters so that you can experience that glass skin glow from within that you’re seeking," she said.
She also noted that various ingredients and hydrators will work together to help attain the glow I am seeking. "Only thin layers of each product are needed. But see how your skin feels and if more layers are desired, these products can be layered more heavily," she says.
I decided to mix a few of my Beauty & Seoul products with a few products recommended by Yoon. Below, I’ve documented my honest thoughts on how the products have worked on my skin over the past month.
Cleansers
Peach & Lily
Peach Pudding Makeup Cleanser
$10.00
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Rating: 4.9/5
Description: This cleanser was recommended to me by Yoon and is the first step in a double-cleanse to remove oil-based makeup, SPF, and other impurities. It’s recommended for dry, oily, and normal skin types. On why she recommended it, Yoon said, "It’s super hydrating and won’t strip skin dry." She recommended that it be applied onto dry skin, massaged in, and rinsed off with lukewarm water.
My Thoughts: I used this cleanser a handful of times over the last month. I completely agree that it's ideal for removing oil-based makeup, SPF, and other impurities as my makeup slid off like butter. I tried it once or twice when I didn’t have anything heavy on my face, and I didn’t find the results to be quite as hydrating as when I removed heavy makeup. Overall, I really love this cleanser as it’s packed full of some of my favorite oils, including jojoba. It’s an ingredient that works wonders for soothing my dry skin.
Heimish
All Clean Balm
$18.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: This balm helps remove makeup, excess sebum, and impurities without leaving your skin dry. A spatula is provided so that you never have to dip your fingers into the product. It’s recommended that this balm is applied to dry skin with a hint of water and then rinsed off with warm water.
My Thoughts: This balm is truly incredible, and I know it’s a product I’ll continue to repurchase. I strive only to purchase products with outstanding reviews, and this one had practically all positive reviews. It did an excellent job at removing my makeup and being a great first step to my double-cleanse. I found that this balm was so effective that my skin was spotless when I came to my second cleanse. It’s another product that contains some of the best oils, making it perfect for instant makeup and impurity removal.
Peach & Lily
Power Calm Hydrating Gel Cleanser
$28.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: Yoon added this product to my morning cleanser regimen and the second step to my evening double-cleanse. She recommended this sulfate-free, low-pH cleanser to help respect my skin barrier and keep it hydrated.
My Thoughts: This cleanser was so calming on my skin and gentle whether used morning or night. Because I have dry skin, my skin tends to dry out after applying a cleanser. I’m happy to report that this wasn’t the case with this cleanser, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone with a dry skin type.
Exfoliator
Pyunkang Yul
Peeling Gel
$14.00
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Rating: 4/5
Description: This exfoliator is designed to help reveal a smoother, more radiant complexion by gently removing dead skin cells and excess sebum. It’s only meant to be used a handful of times per week.
My Thoughts: Compared to other exfoliators I’ve used in the past, I am a fan of this exfoliator. It was gentle and left my face feeling super hydrated. To avoid over-exfoliating, I only used this in my evening routine twice a week. The only downside was the poignant scent; it was not as pleasant as other products in my routine. However, that is to be expected when a product doesn’t use ingredients to make the product smell sweet—which I think is a good thing.
Toner
Peach & Lily
The Good Acids Pore Toner
$39.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: This was another recommendation by Yoon. This toner should only use be used three times per week rather than daily. "It's gentle enough for everyday use, but every three days is a good amount for you," she explains. It tones the skin and gently exfoliates it ever-so-slightly to help keep skin looking polished and radiant.
My Thoughts: I thought it was fascinating to use this toner three times a week, as I’m used to daily toners. However, I found that my skin didn’t ever feel dried out (as it has before) by using it less often. I apply this toner with a cotton pad and lightly pat it into my skin for instant results.
Essence
CosRX
Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
$25.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: This essence contains 96% snail secretion filtrate to help repair skin and restore skin elasticity. "Snail secretion filtrate is used in many Korean skincare products due to its soothing and repairing benefits to the skin," Kinder says, "Snail secretion filtrate also acts as a mild exfoliant promoting a clearer complexion by stimulating the cell renewal process."
My Thoughts: I was quite apprehensive about trying this essence at first because I wondered whether the mucin would feel gooey on my face. Thankfully, it wasn’t gooey and instantly felt super hydrating. The reviews I’d initially read raved highly of this essence, so it made my decision-making process much easier.
Serum
Peach & Lily
Glass Skin Refining Serum
$39.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: This is one of the most sought-after products by Peach & Lily due to its capabilities to give you glass-like skin. "This serum has everything from soothing ingredients to antioxidants to fatty acids to vitamins to minerals to hydrators," Yoon says. She recommended that I use one-to-three pumps of this serum in the morning and night.
My Thoughts: One of my goals for this month was to achieve the look of glass skin—and this serum definitely helped me meet it. Every time I used it, I could see a glowy reflection in my skin and was inundated with compliments. It felt so lightweight and gave an overall radiance to my complexion.
Face Mask
Dr. Althea
Natural Brightening Velvet Mask
$18.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: This mask is said to revitalize dull-looking skin with its soothing and radiance-boosting ingredients, including rice, oatmeal, and honey extract.
My Thoughts: Over the past month, I used one face mask per week during my evening routine. For me, none of the other masks compared to this one by Dr. Althea. Firstly, K-Beauty face masks provide a fun and simple experience compared to what I’ve used in the past. All K-Beauty sheet masks include high-quality protective paper for better mask precision which meant it was effortless to apply. After it had been on for 20 minutes, I genuinely didn’t want to take it off as my skin felt rehydrated and looked super polished.
Face Cream
Peach & Lily
Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream
$40.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: This face cream is for morning and evening use. It’s packed with antioxidants to help fight off free radicals, and matcha to soothe your skin.
My Thoughts: In the past, I’ve found it difficult to find face creams that I’ve truly loved. So when I find a face cream that works well for me, I end up sticking with it and not trying anything else. I was pleasantly surprised at how hydrating this cream was. It includes one of my favorite ingredients, niacinamide, which helps calm skin conditions like eczema and redness. I also found that it works to keep skin looking and feeling smooth from the inside out.
Sunscreen
Rootree
Mobitherapy UV Sun Shield
$23.00
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Rating: 5/5
Description: This sunscreen offers SPF 50+ PA++++ protection without leaving behind a white cast or causing irritation. It also contains Korean Dendropanax, which is known for leaving skin calm and supple.
My Thoughts: As someone with dark skin, I’m always hesitant to try sunscreens that I'm not very familiar with. I often have to do extensive research to find one that doesn’t leave me with a white cast. Due to this, I tend to only use products recommended by people with similar skin tones to mine. Yoon took this into account when recommending this sunscreen. It applied gently and definitely was my favorite part of my whole routine. Also, I found that this worked well under and over makeup which is something I wear daily.
Korean beauty products have taken the world by storm and become immensely popular in recent years. The Chinese language term “Hallyu” translated as Korean Wave or K-Wave can be used to describe the widespread popularity of South Korean pop culture, including K-dramas, K-pop music, and Korean skincare or K-beauty, among other things.
An example of Korean pop culture’s widespread popularity is the K-pop group — BTS (Bangtan Boys) having a huge fanbase across the globe. One reason for K-Beauty’s growing popularity is the desire to achieve the “glass skin” look that is trendy in Korean dramas and pop culture. Celebrities in South Korea often use the best skincare products and undergo specialized beauty treatments to achieve this look.
Korean beauty products are well promoted on television and the internet and are used by many famous K-drama stars and K-pop bands like Blackpink. Ever since “Hallyu” or Korean Wave, Korean beauty brands have started making their way into the United States, the UK, and Europe, offering consumers unique skincare products that are not commonly found in the West. These products are known to have a cult following among Western beauty influencers and YouTubers like James Welsh and Hyram Yarbro who promote and tout K-beauty products.
Korean skincare companies like Dr.Jart+ and Innisfree have made their way into major U.S. skincare retailers like Sephora. This is due to the increasing demand in the U.S. for Korean skincare products as well as the initiative of the South Korean government to prioritize cosmetics exports.
Many Western fans of K-Beauty are consciously following Korean beauty standards, especially younger generations including Gen Z and Millennials, and are highly influenced by Korean culture. The increasing popularity of Korean cosmetics and beauty products has led to a significant impact on the Western Cosmetics industry and consumers.
The desire to achieve the “glass skin” look has become a new trend in skincare, and companies use this to market their products. In South Korea, consumers are well-informed about the various skincare ingredients and products offered by Korean beauty brands.
When shopping for K-Beauty in Seoul, consumers can find products that suit their specific skin concerns, types, and needs, allowing them to enhance their natural beauty.
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From a very young age, Koreans are taught the importance of skincare and beauty, as it is considered an essential part of taking care of oneself. Having a beauty and skincare routine is not seen as high-maintenance in South Korea, but rather a necessary aspect of maintaining healthy skin.
Achieving the “glass skin” look is a popular skincare goal among Koreans. The K-beauty industry creates unique products for men and women, and those looking to achieve a glowy dewy look may want to consider using the best Korean skincare products for their goals.
The K-Beauty routine commonly followed by Korean beauty influencers involves an extensive 10-step regimen. Korean Skincare brands offer a wide range of products that focus more on prevention, protection—and skin elasticity.
The 10-step Korean skincare routine includes the following steps:
Generally, low-priced products are often low in quality, but with Korean beauty products, this is not the case at all. South Korean companies are known for being innovative in the beauty and cosmeceuticals industry, making Korean skincare products very high-quality and at affordable prices compared to the Western competition.
Korean beauty brands are not hesitant about research and development of innovative new ingredients and testing unique formulations. This is the reason they are becoming increasingly popular among the young population and beauty influencers.
Since Korean cosmetics are becoming more innovative this can call for fierce competition among other markets. The Korean beauty market is one of the top 10 global beauty markets estimated to be worth USD 21.8 Billion by 2026 according to GlobalData.
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Skincare brands are constantly investing in research and innovation to keep up with the ever-changing skincare and cosmetics industry. South Korea is the world’s 4th largest cosmetics exporter, following France, the United States, and Germany. The U.S. is now the third-largest market for South Korean cosmetic exports, and many Korean beauty brands are now easily available through both online and in-store retailers.
K-Beauty products contain a wide range of natural and traditional Korean ingredients that are beneficial for the skin. They contain unique ingredients that are not commonly found in Western skincare products. Ingredients such as licorice root extract, ginseng, mugwort, snail mucin, birch sap, honey, fermented rice water, and various other fermented substances are commonly found in Korean beauty products.
Additionally, K-Beauty products often include botanical ingredients like Green tea and Centella asiatica. These ingredients of superior quality can be found in products like essences, toners, serums, and moisturizers.
There are several popular Korean cosmetic products that can be added to your beauty routine.
Korean Lip Masks can be very beneficial in effectively healing dry or flaky skin on your lips. They can provide a plump appearance to your lips and including them in your skincare routine can provide long-lasting benefits.
BB Creams have been a sensation in South Korea since the early 2000s, helping women achieve “Chok Chok” skin — considered a true sign and beauty standard in Korean culture. BB creams provide a whiter appearance, radiance, and hydration to the skin, making the facial skin look like porcelain.
Pimple Patches can help heal single pimples and usually have ingredients that help with acne such as Salylicic acid and Tree tea oil. These patches can prevent the urge to pick pimples and absorb any drainage from pimples, thus promoting quicker healing.
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Cushion Compacts contain a liquid foundation that is portable in an easy-to-carry compact form. It can be used to touch up your skin and provide a “natural glowing effect” that Korean people desire.
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