iStockPhoto / Getty Images
While there’s a world of beauty products to choose from, K-beauty – the umbrella term for the multibillion-dollar industry of skincare, makeup and other beauty products from South Korea – comes down to a few basic tenets: zealous protection from UV damage, double cleansing (first using an oil-based product and then a water-based cleanser) and many steps that all amount to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
Think K-beauty is a trend? Think again. It’s the future
K-beauty products emphasize moisturizing and protecting the skin rather than using the astringent, harsh cleansing and physical exfoliants many of us grew up with in North America. Here are a few product recommendations to help get you started.
Green tea sleeping mask, Innisfree
Supplied
Korean skincare, as journalist Elise Hu outlines in her book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital, is a modern and innovative industry. But the use of plant products, such as green tea, “tracks with a history of farm-to-medicine-cabinet skin therapies” that include red ginseng, rice or honey. Hu suggests this sleeping mask from Innisfree, available online at innisfree.com for $26.
Black Sugar wash-off face mask, Skinfood
Supplied
Another feature of Korean skincare is a modest price point, such as this wash-off face mask Hu recommends, available to buy online in Canada at various stores, including at kbeautycanada.com for $14.50.
Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics SPF 50, Beauty of Joseon
Supplied
In Korean skincare, sun protection is key. Sunscreen is like a religion for Koreans, with 90 per cent of Korean women and 56 per cent of men saying they apply it at all times. Korean-Canadian makeup artist Grace Lee favours sunscreen with SPF 50, such as this lightweight lotion with rice extracts, available online at beautyofjoseon.global for $18. She also places AHC Masters Pro Patch sun-blocking facial patch stickers (from oliveyoung.com, US$18.66) on her cheekbones when out on the golf course with her Korean friends.
Supplied
Collagen supplements
Supplied
“We lose approximately 1 per cent of the thickness of our collagen every year. And it goes even quicker for women after menopause,” says U.S.-based holistic plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn. Collagen supplements are a popular product in his own skincare line, Youn Beauty. This collagen product, Multi Collagen Protein Powder, is available in Canada and made from non-GMO, grass-fed and pasture-raised, cage-free and cruelty-free sources, for $69.99 at ancientnutrition.ca.
Real Nature Skin Mask Rice, The Face Shop
Supplied
In general, Youn recommends Korean sheet masks, “not only for an immediate improvement in how your skin looks but long-term, I think they can be very good for the skin.” This one is available at thefaceshop.ca for $3.50.