If you didn’t know Korea was the beauty capital of the world, you’ve been living under a rock!
Over the past several years, Korean beauty regimes and products have been making their way over to the west.
That’s boosted the South Korean beauty market to an eye-watering $13 billion – and introduced consumers to new ways of cleansing, moisturising, and detoxing.
But it’s not a recent trend: Koreans have always placed great emphasis on their skincare and appearance.
According to BBC News, South Korean women spend twice as much of their income on beauty products and regimes than their American counterparts. And it’s not just women who care about their faces: South Korean men spend more on skincare than men in any other country, opting for masks, cleansers, and creams to stay looking young.
In the West, we’re often blissfully unaware of our ageing skin until it’s too late. Then, we scramble for anti-ageing products and solutions to turn back the clock.
In Korea, men and women maintain their skin from an early age, helping them hold onto their youthful looks.
So what can we learn from Korean beauty regimes? Below, we’ve rounded up some tips…
Make some lifestyle changes
Let’s start with one of the most obvious anti-ageing techniques: changing your lifestyle. The better you take care of your body, the more likely you are to slow down the ageing process.
In Korea, for example, citizens tend to eat fewer high-sugar desserts than we do in the west, opting for fruit and sikhye (a Korean rice drink) over cheesecakes and chocolate. We all know that sugar is bad for our skin – it can lead to inflammation of the body, aggravating skin conditions such as acne and eczema. Cutting down on those processed foods will help you.
Water is also important. Switch out those double espressos and soft drinks for a bottle of water, or a green tea over your usual milky coffee if you’re in the mood for a warm drink.
Buy a BB cream
The chances are that you’ve used a BB cream in the past.
Sitting between a moisturiser and a foundation, blemish balm (BB) creams can moisturize, protect, and correct your skin. They are infused with antioxidants, brightening agents, and an SPF which will treat your skin and give it a fresh and even glow – oh, and SPF protection prevents against unwanted exposure to the sun. And when you consider that approximately 90% of skin ageing is thought to be a result of sun exposure, it’s clear why Koreans choose BB creams to avoid premature ageing.
Some Korean BB creams are even infused with ingredients such as white gold, which can stimulate anti-ageing and support natural collagen production. Remember: collagen is what keeps our face looking youthful and bouncy, and as we age, collagen production slows down and eventually stops. And when all of that collagen breaks down, we see the signs of ageing – wrinkles, sagging, baggy eyes, and a dull complexion. Applying BB cream slows this down.
Wear a sleeping mask
Another Korean anti-ageing skincare “hack” to consider is a sleeping mask. No, we’re not talking about those eyemasks some people wear to sleep – we’re talking about moisturising masks that can be worn all night long. Such masks give your skin a moisture boost and add nutrients and minerals which can help you maintain a healthy glow and slow down ageing.
And for those who struggle to drift off on an evening, sleeping masks can be a godsend, as they are often infused with essential oils like lavender which can promote deep sleeping.
Consider sheet masks
One more shoutout for masks! Sheet masks are incredibly common in Korea, and you’ll find them in your local shopping mall in beauty and fashion stores, as they’ve grown in popularity in the west. There’s a sheet mask for any skin issue you can think of – ageing, acne, masks to boost collagen levels, vitamin C masks, brightening masks, hydrating masks, and even black snail repair masks. Bubble masks are also hugely popular – and a fun way to relax.
These single-use cotton pad masks are soaked in powerful skin-rejuvenating ingredients and are designed to rest on the curves of your face. They don’t look all that stylish, but they offer powerful benefits and in just twenty minutes, can be peeled off to reveal radiant skin.
The idea behind Korean sheet masks is to lock active ingredients against your skin. Many face masks are designed to be washed off after 10 minutes, but sheet masks form a barrier between your skin and the air to lock in moisture. And because they don’t go dry, they’re not messy and don’t crack, ensuring that moisture cannot escape during your beauty treatment.
Consider our anti-ageing device
Finally, consider the benefit of the Oralift anti-ageing device. Our device has been available to Koreans for a number of years, resulting in some inspiring success stories. After using the device for sixteen months, one Korean user noticed significant changes to her face. Not only did it appear more youthful, but it was more oval, with the ageing triangle reversing and the corner of the eyes and mouth lifting up, with fuller-looking cheeks. That’s all without surgery.
Unlike some anti-ageing techniques, the Oralift device is designed to offer safe and natural facial rejuvenation. Worn for just two hours, every third day, the device activates some of the face’s “forgotten” muscles, which over time reduces and delays the signs of facial ageing.
Do you have any skincare and anti-ageing hacks out of Korea? Let us know on Twitter using @Oralift, and check back soon for more advice on looking and feeling your best, every day.