Korean beauty secrets revealed
Friday, 16 January 2009
At the DIY skincare creation workshop I attended, the Korean trainer told us that women in her country are very particular about their beauty and would make sure that they’re all well groomed from head to toe even when they’re just heading to the supermarket. I was also told that most of them prefer to use soap to wash their face. Anyway, I couldn’t find out more Korean beauty tips from her but I’ve just come across some interesting ones from Laneige’s International Trainer, Jin Lee at K-popped.com which include:
Using outward & upwards strokes when washing your face
When washing your face, do not use vertical up-down strokes which will loosen your facial muscles and promote skin sag. Use outward and upward strokes instead. I think this is quite in line with what I wrote yesterday and certainly make sense. However, it’s quite an effort to remember this because I’m so used to washing my face in circular movements. But I always try to use outward and upward strokes when I apply my facial creams and oils though.
Using lots of whitening products
If you want to have clear complexion, you should follow the Korean women who are fond of using whitening products to combat skin pigmentation problems. And with the great number of whitening and brightening products available in the market, I believe most of us are already into this regime.
Using sunscreen to prevent premature aging
Like the rest of the world, Koreans believe that sunscreens are an important aspect of skincare routines. So prevent premature aging by using sunscreen diligently as early as possible and this is also something that is achieveable given the flood of sunscreen products in the market. The only problem is picking one that provides sufficient sun protection and suit your skin type.
Using 17 – 18 products to achieve flawless complexion
The one that caught my attention most was that Korean women apply 17 – 18 products every morning before stepping out of the house! Gosh! That’s something I cannot follow for sure. One, I don’t have the time for the full works and two, I really can’t tolerate having too many products on my face!
If you’re interested to read more about the products they use, then check out the article here.
* Oh and don’t forget the BB creams that originate from Korea!
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Posted in Beauty, Korean | 20 Comments »
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January 16th, 2009 at 9:21 am
ohh I’m interested to learn more, I’ve got Korean students in the past and I asked for their secrets too coz their skin are super!!
They told me they go to weekly “sauna!”
Nikki: Weekly sauna? So steaming works well for them? Interesting…
January 16th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Using 17-18 products on the go! Wow! I only have 3-4 products that are still alot to finish. I always envy Korean ladies, they have flawless and supple skin. And their BB creams works wonders for me! =)
Dee: Yeah, I thought that’s too much and quite unthinkable for me cos I only use 4 – 5 products at most including toner!
January 16th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Incredible! So many products?!!! @_@
Thanks for the link to the article. I had a couple of Korean neighbours who looked really youthful even though they were quite auntie already, so I do think they must have some good beauty secrets!
Karen: I suppose some of their good skin were also “inherited”…
January 16th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Using 17-18 products on the face!!!By the time apply all the products plus the make up, I think I will be too lazy to go out
Florence: I think my face will drop to the floor due to the burden…keke…
January 16th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
I don’t think all the women in Korea has got great skin. The SAs in beauty shops like Etude House, Skinfood and The Face Shop are don’t exactly have flawless skin either. Most of the SAs have a lot of acne, etc. I don’t know why.
One The Face Shop SA was trying to sell me those nose patches to get rid of blackheads on the nose. She said she also uses them. BUT when I see that the pores (or maybe golf holes) on her nose were SO BIG (MY GOSH!), I didn’t dare to get them.
In addition, a lot of people complain online that they break out on Korean skincare.
When I ask my colleagues in Seoul, most of them tell me they prefer to use international brand products, such as Bobby Brown, Dior, Lancome, etc.
pf1123: Are the SAs you’re referring in Korea? Most of the Korean ladies I’ve come across personally in Korea have great skin. Come to think of it, those from North Asia seems to have better skin that those in SEA and I wonder why. I suppose not everyone’s skin agrees with Korean skincare but then again, so many also raved about their success stories with BB creams isn’t it?
January 16th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Yeah…the SAs are koreans.
I suppose it could be the climate?
pf1123: My guess is similar to yours about the climate. But also, I think maybe the all the loading of products sometimes give the illusion of perfect skin too. Hee…
January 17th, 2009 at 1:14 am
Just wondering, but by outward strokes, does that mean towards the nose or ear?
And 17-18! That is extreme! Are they extremely hardworking or crazy? I get tired from just using 3-4 products. Can’t imagine using so many! Is it good for the skin?
Nikki: Towards the ear…it’s actually quite hard to follow when it comes to washing our faces.
January 17th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Wow… 17-18 products on face only will kill my sensitive skin :p
I had worked in Korea for my project before and I didn’t think many Korea girls have really good skin. They might just like you and me who have issues about their skin.
I seriously think it was due to climate because my skin & complexion looks fabulous in autumn/winter, which makeup hardly achieves the complexion. (I don’t hv flawless skin)
BT: I’m sure not all the Korean girls have great skin but I think on the whole, Korean, Taiwanese, Chinese and Japanese girls have better skin. Maybe it’s just my perception but those that I’ve come across are great. I remember I used to drool just looking at my colleagues’ faces (those from Korea and China)… I agree with you about the weather. So darn our hot and humid weather here!
January 17th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
wow 17-18 products is totally insane! O_o who would have the time in the world to do it before heading to work early in the morning. lol. I am doing 6 layers and I think is taking up too much of my time. And, one of the factors is the weather here. The hot and humid weather does no good to our skin either. And i heard they use ALOT of ginseng in everything, so i guess that must be one of the reasons too?
Prettybeautiful: Yeah, I agree with you that climate and food play a part. Just look at the Japanese. They eat a lot of raw stuff and that helps in terms of giving them good health too.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I keep hearing about BB creams…what are they?
Sarah: BB Creams are treatment creams meant to cover blemishes and soften skin texture. I wrote about it and if you like to know more, check out my entry here.
January 18th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
17-18 products??? I am just trying to figure out what those products could be:) There’s no doubt that koreans have beautiful skin but I like Japanese women’s skin a lot, they look so flawless.
Leon: The 17-18 products also include makeup. But still, it’s a lot! I haven’t seen too many Japanese women up close but yes, those I’ve seen seems to have rather good complexion.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Oh I thought those were only skin care products but its still a big number:)
Leon: Yeah, quite insane I thought…
January 20th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I only use about 5 products on my face, and already I find myself almost late for work everyday! I cannot imagine doing 17 – 18! It’ll take all day!!!
Em: You’re so right! It’s too time consuming!
January 28th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
what is a refiner? its one of korean 5 skin care steps.
Hakimah: If I’m not wrong, it helps to minimize the pores…
February 15th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
I’m a Korean American and I can say that most young adults (pass high school years) in Korea have great skin. This is because they put a lot of time and money into it. You’ll notice that most of the high schoolers have crazy acne that all seems to clear out by the them they graduate. I’m thinking it’s stress related.
But with Korean women, I think it’s a combination of sauna, skin care, facial & spas, diet and application of make-up. You won’t really see crazy large pores or zits because in Korea they sure know how to cover them up.
Darn it I want to go to Korea and learn how to apply make up the way they do ebcause they can fake such good skin.
CJ: I think beauty is something Korean women takes pride in and something I would love to emulate but I don’t want anything too time consuming.
March 1st, 2009 at 8:00 am
Being a Korean women myself who does not live in Korea, I think a lot of having good skin is genetic. The women of Korean origin that I know, and myself, have great skin without having to use many products. I don’t even wash my face, and only apply moisturiser when I remember (every few days). I’m approaching 30.
SG: You’re lucky! Yes I think it’s true. It’s definitely good genes and perhaps diet too.
April 2nd, 2009 at 3:03 pm
i think that if u eat well exercise well and moisturize clean ur face and all that stuff then u dont need any beauty tips from any country.it is hard to do so much stuff in 1 day.I would advice to stay happy and healthy and use natural products.use sunscreen and stay clean.it has worked for me
vs: I agree with you and in general that should work but some of us are not so blessed with good genes or have to deal with hormone issues and have more skin issues to deal with.
April 14th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I am Korean 21 and have been living in CA for 8 years.. I have noticed that most Koreans who just came to US have perfect skin. Then they start having acne problems in a few months. It could be the sunlight, diet, skin products, sauna, etc..,
but definitely not genetic..probably sunlight…But I see this problem more from the teens. Those who came here as adults wouldn’t experience so much difference.
hmph.
Maybe US is just dominated by skin related bacteria!!!!
Lu: I’m inclined to believe it might be the diet and perhaps water.
June 15th, 2009 at 1:14 am
hello,
i m interested in bb cream but how would i buy ‘my shade’??/ i m 22 nd the bb cream brtc one comes in anti-wrinkle and they claim to firm ur skin..which one shd i buy ?? also i m not fair ..i m motre like medium to dark olive skin …do they do my shade?? please help!!
August 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 am
hmmm…well i am totally obsessed with skincare and learning about routines of different countries etc…skincare routines…i live in saudi arabia and i went to an international school here from where i fortunately encountered girls from different countries etc. i even had a korean friend who used to hang out with her other korean friends from different classrooms. that korean friend of mine DID NOT have flawless skin…but her friends did have good skin. she had acne etc. but she used this herbal treatment that used to leave two red round marks on her cheeks…i even have some chinese girls in that school and their skin IS flawless…i have been in this country all my life and honestly…the only people who dont ever get acne regularly in their life are arabs…i have never seen an arab woman get crazy acne…never. i myself never had acne problem in my teens but now im starting to have them…my sisters have quiet alot…i think its just genetics…the skin type you get is genetics BUT you can control your skin condition and make it better by improving your LIFESTYLE, not by dumping a gazillion creams on your face…its not magic, its what goes inside your body that really makes a difference…your diet can beat genetics ladies so try eating healthy and avoiding fast foods…goodluck