BEAUTY
BEAUTY
The Korean 10-Step Skincare Regime
The 411 ' s Reshma Madhi investigates Korea ' s beauty obsession
Within the global market , Western names in fashion and beauty have , for a few years now , paid serious attention to the Korean approach to skincare and the cutting-edge products the country has produced .
Korean culture places a huge importance on skincare , which in its increasingly modern society has led to an appetite for consumer beauty products . Korean beauty houses have responded with a fast-paced delivery of inventive formulas in a modern youth culture known for loving its overnight fads . Korea has brought to the world products , now considered mainstream essentials , such as BB creams and sheet masks .
Products often follow the rules of traditional Chinese Medicine , with natural ingredients providing healing and therapeutic benefits . This , combined with the influence of Western ingredients and a wide plethora of product types , means there are some innovative and inventive ingredients used , like snail mucus or bee venom .
What has been widely referred to in recent years as the 10-step beauty regime , outlines the routine used by Koreans . It has created great intrigue and a multitude of tried and tested versions of the socalled ‘ regime ’. It may sound complex and overwhelming to many , but it ' s basically cleansing , exfoliating , treating , moisturising and SPF-ing .
Korean culture skincare is about self-care , using the benefits nature provides to nourish the body inside and out . It ' s about your true skin health and there ' s respect you can ’ t ignore for how these women see flawless , radiant , healthy skin , as a sign of true beauty . Having a deep heritage , this ethos is ingrained in the society - think traditional communal bathhouses . Koreans therefore place an importance on skincare from a young age and is seen as something to devote time to , forming a key part of your daily routine .
I travelled to South Korea late last year , and gallivanting around Seoul , I observed the fashion forward and consumer trends and how they had influenced our Western culture , unknowingly . Think oil cleansers , sleep masks and brightening serums - all from Asia . Next to translucent complexions and smooth hair , I felt a little scruffy in my casuals and bed hair ! Suddenly I felt I wanted to shop for local products , listen to some K-pop or K-hip-hop , watch some soap operas and get translucent , glowing skin . Many back home would perhaps find the beauty regimes here high maintenance but surrounded by it , it does start to rub off on you as they seem to do it so well .
The 10-step theory is not necessarily a hard and fast rule , but more about finding the steps that work for your , however many that may be . It ’ s a holistic approach , finding what suits you as an individual .
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