Why Korean Beauty is Popular

From Tiktok’s skin flooding trend to K-beauty threads on Reddit to articles in Vogue magazine, if you are interested in skincare, it’s impossible to avoid content on Korean Beauty routines.

But what is it about Korean Beauty routines that has the West so #obsessed? C’mon, admit it: I’m not the only one who has Googled “how to get glass skin,” where to buy “panda sheet masks,” and “is snail slime really good for my skin?”

The truth is, while these K-beauty searches might be trendy, the West’s love of Korean beauty and Korean beauty products isn’t new. Korean beauty has been a Western fascination for a long time – even longer than our obsession with the K-pop band BTS!

One of the reasons Westerns seem to love Korean beauty products is due to the gentleness of its ingredients. For example, many skincare products in the United States contain salicylic acid or glycolic acid as exfoliating ingredients. While these ingredients absolutely work, they can be harsh on the skin, especially if overused. Many Korean skincare products, on the other hand, focus more on polyhydroxic acids (or PHA’s), which are gentler on the skin and easier for the skin to absorb due to their larger molecule size. Korean products also use more natural and plant-based ingredients, even including the aforementioned snail mucin! Once you get past the idea of putting snail slime on your skin, you’ll discover that snail mucin hydrates, boosts collagen production, heals, and even gives skin a glass finish!

Another reason Westerns like K-beauty is due to the difference in the overall approach to skincare. Cosmetic Chemist and Instagram famous licensed esthetician Esther Olu told Refinery29 that she thinks a big difference between Korean and Western beauty products is that: "Western skin-care products tend to take a corrective approach. The formulas are dedicated to solving a skin-care concern, whether it is retinol, azelaic acid, or BHAs and AHAs…” Meanwhile, “Korean skin care focuses more on maintenance and skin barrier health.” This is why you’ll find ingredients like ceramides, cica (an herb that decreases swelling and puffiness), and niacinamide (a vitamin that reduces excess oil and keeps the epidermis barrier intact) in most Korean skin care products. It’s also a reason Korean skincare involves double cleansing and double moisturizing, otherwise known as skin flooding.

A final reason Westerners have gone gaga for K-beauty is that they’ve come to appreciate what it stands for. Korean skincare isn’t just a quick fix; it’s a lifestyle. It hasn’t taken Westerners long to realize that skincare is an essential part of self-care in Korea. It’s not a thing Koreans do “real quick” in the morning and begrudgingly before hopping into bed at night. Further, in Korea, it’s not considered “high maintenance” to invest in your beauty. Koreas value investing in beauty and skincare the same way Westerners value investing in oral hygiene and physical fitness. Westerners are realizing Koreans are onto something smart, and since skin is the largest organ on the body, it should be treated with proper care and respect.

So if you’re ready to try gentler, natural products that will improve your overall skin health and glow, look around our site. Invest in some of our K-beauty products, and you’ll get a whole new you. You’re worth it!