Just like their skin, Koreans believe in caring for their hair on a regular basis and will use a hair mask or scalp scrub once a week. It's always best to leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes so that it can really get absorbed and properly nourish the hair.
The Korean hair care routine involves using a hair toner that clears the scalp, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and strengthens the hair. It also forms a protective layer that keeps all pollutants out of your hair and protects it from damage. A toner is meant to be applied on your scalp.
“According to my hair stylist, Korean women use a hair essence or oil every single day, which is why they have such silky, soft, and shiny strands.” A personal favorite for Cho is British M's Organics Annatto Hair Oil, while Lee is a fan of the Mise en Scene Pearl Shining Hair Essence.
The reason Asian hair tends to be thicker is that it has around 10 layers of cuticles. Cuticles are the small areas around the inner protein structure of your hair–they are there to protect those proteins.
In Korea, people like to wash their hair every day because of environmental pollution (fine dust, gas emissions, etc). Whereas people in America generally tend to wash hair every 2-3 days due to the common perception that it's much healthier for your hair.
“Men and women in South Korea are meticulous when it comes to maintaining healthy hair with a three-step process. After washing the hair with shampoo and conditioner, they often apply a hair essence or hair oil to achieve a shiny head of hair. Hair masks, serums, milks and hair mists are all must-haves,” explains Cho.
Since ancient times, Koreans have only used natural, harsh-free ingredients for their skincare routines: green tea, “snail slime”, bamboo extracts, propolis, and honey are just some examples of the elements they used and have passed through generations.
Korean beauty advocates double dose of skincare products to seal the benefits and preserve the skin's health. This is why Korean women live by the rule of double cleansing, double eye mask and double hydration in their skincare regimen.
AMH Add More Hair Shampoo
This shampoo is a Korean celebrity favorite for a reason: It has powerful cleansing agents like salicylic acid and zinc pyrithione to rid the scalp of any excess oil and buildup, while panthenol, a derivative of vitamin B5, nourishes and softens strands.
Koreans use a scalp scaler to remove the dead skin, oil, and accumulated pollutants from their scalp. The scalp scaler is nothing but a shampoo that is meant for cleansing your scalp. It is typically made up of salicylate [1] and does not lather when you apply it to your scalp.
The cuticle is the outer layer that protects the individual hair. The many layers on an Asian hair are also more dense and wider and thicker than on Caucasian hair. That gives the hair an illusion of being really shiny and silky.
Many idols have confessed they use an ACV rinse every time they wash their hair as a way to keep their hair healthy, shiny, and smooth.
Fermented Rice Wine (Makkeoli)
Makkeoli combines Korea's two favourite past times – drinking and pampering. Unlike soju, this alcoholic drink is rich in vitamin B and amino acids helping to brighten your skin tone and improve any unevenness in your skin tone. It even works wonders for acne.
According to Alicia Yoon, the founder of Peach n Lily, the secret to Korean glass skin is not the products but maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eat well and live well. Your skin will glow from within while the skincare enhances your skin further. Unfortunately, there is no way to achieve this overnight.
Korean diet essentials
Traditional Korean foods focus heavily on fruit, soy, steamed vegetables, rice, fish and fermented foods such as kimchi, a cabbage-based dish thought to be a centerpiece of the Korean diet. The K-pop diet is also one that is characterized as minimally processed, as well as low in sugar and fat.
Frequency of shaving or beard grooming among men South Korea 2022. According to a survey conducted among South Korean men in 2022, around 51.8 percent of respondents stated that they were shaving or taking care of their beard once a day. On average, South Korean men shaved around 5 times per months.
Treat your hair to Moroccan oil every day
Uee's (Kim Yu-Jin) secret to super soft and shiny hair lies in Moroccan Oil. The Marriage Contract actress and K-pop singer recommends applying Moroccan oil to the ends of your hair every day to ensure that it stays shiny and velvety.