The Korean approach to skin care is a lot gentler and there is a distinct difference in ingredients lists compared to Western products, which can be harsh. You could argue that the main intent of skin care everywhere is to promote healthy, happy skin.
South Korea Is Serious About Natural Beauty
Koreans are very knowledgeable about beauty and cosmetics, so their skin care products are made with the highest standards to achieve a flawless “glass skin” appearance. As a result, their industrial technology and innovations are one of the highest in the world.
Korean skincare focuses on the skin barrier through the layering of skincare — such as moisturizers, serums, lotions, and face mists, said Teo. "While other dermatologists were going on about hyaluronic acid, the Koreans were at polyglutamic acid already, which is five times more hydrating," added Teo.
Although they may serve similar purposes, such as regulating the secretion of the sebum, Japanese lotions and essences tend to be much more moisturizing and gentle to the skin and are lower in acidity.
When it comes to skincare, Cho says Korean women use “natural skin brighteners such as rice extracts, vitamin C, and licorice, as well as exfoliators. For stubborn brown spots, they will visit the dermatologist to lighten the brown spots using lasers.”
Korean skincare focuses on prevention, making it more effective than traditional Western beauty techniques. In South Korea, parents teach their children about skin care very early on. Their children quickly learn the importance of cleansers, SPF, and moisturizer.
People in countries like Denmark, Finland, and Norway tend to look at beauty as deeper than what you put on your skin. Dr.
Japan. Japan is home to some of the world’s best beauty brands. These are renowned for their high quality products that are packed with skin-benefiting ingredients and use minimal chemicals.
While skincare consumers from both countries appreciate clean ingredients sourced from their local environment, they have different definitions of what makes a product clean. For Chinese, it is all about ingredients, but for South Koreans, plant-based and undiluted products are best.
For the uninitiated, Koreans are known for their flawless skin. If you're a skincare enthusiast, you should be aware of the importance of the Korean beauty industry. Koreans are known for their skin being so bright and translucent that it almost seems radiant and reflects like glass.
A reason why Korean skin care is so popular — and so good — is because the Korean government is said to have actively invested in its beauty brands to better develop cosmetics. Redditors also point out that Korean skin care includes 'special ingredients' and technologies that Western products don't.
It's unusual to come across a Korean who doesn't have clear skin. Almost every one of them has pristine skin because they take care of it religiously. They're devoted to their skincare habit to see consistent results rather than short-term effects.
Koreans swear by the rule of double cleansing, double hydration and double masking in their skincare routine!
In fact, harsh active ingredients Americans have long sought out to combat signs of aging, particularly retinol, are much less popular in Korea because Koreans prefer to avoid their drying and irritating side effects, Dr. Chang says.
Certainly, one thing you'll notice after spending some time in the Netherlands is that people (well, Dutch women to be precise) wear way less makeup than what you're used to. That doesn't mean they don't take care of themselves — simply that there isn't the same culture surrounding makeup as in many other countries.
The United States spends the most on cosmetics.
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Researchers have found that men are subconsciously attracted to fairer skin due to its association with purity, innocence, modesty and goodness, while women feel that darker complexions are associated with sex, virility and danger.
(The native people of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, have some of the darkest skin pigmentation in the world.) Although these people are widely separated they share similar physical environments.
The most frequent skin color coded was white with pink undertones, which comprised 42.3% of the anatomical images. The second most prevalent color was pinkish brown, at 29.1%.
Instead of relying on thick and sticky products, Korean skincare tries to pack in effective ingredients into layers of light, gel-like products that would go very easy on the pores. It is one of the reasons why Korean skincare is suitable for most skin types and does not cause breakouts.
While Western skincare generally focuses on anti-aging, K-beauty is all about having a dialogue with your skin – listening to the skin's needs with a holistic approach. K-beauty's priority is on maintaining a healthy skin barrier while Western beauty will focus on problem solving.