You may have heard of the 10-step Korean skincare routine, or perhaps you're familiar with many of the incredible Korean skincare products. While most people have heard about Korean beauty (or K-beauty), there are always a lot of questions about it. Korean beauty is a complex world of skincare and makeup and can be a little intimidating when you're just getting started. What exactly is K-beauty, and what makes it stand out among the thousands of other products and routines out there?
A Brief History of K-Beauty
Korean beauty is rich in history as the beauty standards were developed over time, and companies adapted to meet the people's demands. The history of Korean beauty stretches back for centuries, but it is commonly known that the time of the Three Kingdoms, Goguryeo (Goryeo), Baekje, and Shilla, is where the culture of K-beauty began to thrive.
Women would wear makeup to appear healthy using cosmetics derived from plants, including gourd stems, mung beans, castor oil, and camellia oil. In the Goryeo Era, moisturizing the skin was an important part of beauty routines and a status symbol for wealthy women.
Throughout time, inner beauty became more of a focus due to the rise of Confucianism in the culture, where women prided themselves on their naturally healthy skin by using moisturizers made from honey or extracted ingredients made into lotions. Some women continued to wear makeup emphasizing the natural look in the Joseon Era.
As Korea's beauty standards evolved, so did the routines, products, and methods. Experts in Korean beauty have spent decades extracting and researching the benefits of natural ingredients and their effects on the skin to come up with a revolutionary method and skincare technique that is taking the world by storm.
What is K-Beauty?
Korean beauty, more widely known as K-beauty, is the market of beauty trends and products that originate from South Korea. It's more than just the products; it's about creating them with the Korean beauty philosophy in mind. Over the last few years, K-beauty has taken over the beauty industry as people have benefited from the ingredients in improving the overall health of their skin.
Korean beauty products partnered with the 10-step skincare routine are designed to help people achieve beautiful skin in the long term. The products are designed with prevention and protection in mind to improve elasticity, eliminate signs of aging, and increase the health of the delicate skin on your face.
The products are traditionally developed using advanced research, testing, and innovation to incorporate some of the richest natural ingredients to work with your skin's natural ability to heal. The products work by nourishing your skin from the inside out by cleansing, hydrating, nourishing, and protecting, leaving your skin to thrive. From snail mucin to bee venom to morphing masks, there is no Korean ingredient skincare has not researched.
The Korean beauty industry is also well known for having unique textures and application methods that are uncommon in the western world. What you might find in the form of creams, you can find a Korean formula that uses a gel or a textured cream. Korean beauty companies have spent time and resources researching methods and techniques that ensure your skin can absorb the products to get the most benefits.
Korean skincare has become popular across many cultures around the world, and it's easy to see why. The Korean beauty standards allow everyone to find the perfect routine, ingredients, and techniques to make their skin look youthful, glowy, and beautiful for a lifetime.
To get a deeper dive, check out our Introductory Guide to Korean Beauty.