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25 July, 2019
From drugstore buys, to premium made-in-Korea products, Korean skincare trends (or K-beauty) present a glimmer of hope for us to achieve that perfect, alabaster complexion every Korean celebrity has.
With new trends popping up quicker than you can say “Saranghaeyo (사랑해요)”, here’s a guide to popular Korean skincare tips and tricks, and the popular must-buy products from Korea. Best news is, you can get them in Singapore too!
#1: Korean ‘Glass Skin’ trend
The ‘glass skin’ trend is now a benchmark for healthy, glowing skin. Besides using makeup to create that fresh, dewy look, Korean skincare products are going big on hydration simply because hydration is essential for healthy skin. Ingredients that boost skin’s hydration help to plump up skin cells and fill out fine lines, so what you see is skin as clear as glass – without makeup or photo filters.
Must-buy Korean skincare products are those with key ingredients such as Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin which are moisture magnets.
#2: Skin care ingredients popularly related to Korea or hanbang (traditional herbal medicine)
Herbs such as Korean Ginseng are often used, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to protect skin from free radical damage. Have you tried Korean facial products that contain volcanic minerals, green tea seed extract or fermented plant extracts? Many popular Korean skin care products include these natural ingredients from Korea or Jeju Island. Formulated with Jeju sparkling water, Nature Republic Jeju Sparkling Foam Cleanser (myCK store price $10.50) hydrates, tightens and soothes skin as it deep cleanses. Watch this video to find out what other Korean skincare products you can find at myCK stores!
Skin can enjoy a splash of Korea with Nature Republic Jeju Sparkling Foam Cleanser, available at myCK stores in Singapore.
#3: Multiple bottles for each skin type/concern per range
If you have noticed, shops that sell Korean skincare in Singapore often have a larger choice of skincare products. This gives us the autonomy to DIY and customise what we need and choose from different ranges, even under the same brand sometimes.
3W Clinic skincare (myCK store price from $1 – $16.90) has been around for over 30 years and are popular for their products which are infused with snail mucus, collagen and placenta. These anti-aging ingredients are favoured for improving skin elasticity and firming benefits.
For sun protection, try 3W Clinic Intensive UV Sunblock Cream SPF50 PA+++ 70ml (myCK store price $7.50 / $6.50 now till 15 Aug), which filters UVA and UVB rays, lasts up to 12 hours and works as a makeup base too.
Shop for 3W Clinic skincare to nourish different skin types.
#4: The popular Korean 10-step regime
Being diligent is a must with this popular K-beauty trick. In a nutshell, it means layering dedicated products to feed your skin, starting with double cleansing.
What is double cleansing? Skin experts recommend using an oil-based cleanser to first dislodge grime, makeup, and SPF from pores. Next, wash off everything with a foaming water-based cleanser for an effectively clean canvas ready to absorb nutrients.
What is this popular Korean 10-step skincare routine?
1. Oil cleanser
2. Foam/cream cleanser
3. Toner
4. Essence
5. Emulsion
6. Ampoule/Serum
7. Sheet Mask
8. Eye Cream
9. Moisturiser
10. (Day) Sunscreen; (Night) sleeping mask
#5: The highly rated Korean 7-skin method
The magic number ‘seven’ tackles hydration with a skincare routine that includes gently patting toners or essences into skin seven times. Skincare bloggers love this trick and is especially effective for dehydrated skin, and for those traveling to wintry countries.
What is the 7-skin routine? After cleansing and/or exfoliating, follow with your preferred toners or essences seven times, then lock in all that goodness with a moisturiser. Do avoid toners with astringent ingredients like alcohol as it counteracts by drying up the skin instead. Pick targeted toners or essences and layer them so skin slurps up multiple benefits.
#6: Are you following the ‘Double-serum’ trend?
Done layering with toners and essences, so what exactly is the double-serum K-beauty trend? First, serums and essences do the same job of powering up skin with a concentrated dose of active ingredients. This serum-intensive method allows cocktailing or layering two serums help to achieve maximum results. Again, the extensive Korean skincare lines make it easy to pick what you need.
#7: The ‘Skin-care’ diet
After following earlier popular skincare trends that subscribed to the “more IS more” mantra, here’s an anti-thesis to that. It’s as if Marie Kondo stepped in to declutter the daily routine to simply cleanser, moisturiser, and SPF. Add a mask at night, if you must.
This minimalist belief also means using skincare products free of any harsh active ingredients, and buying those without extras like preservatives, colourants, fragrance etc. Fashionable fad or skincare trend – you decide!
#8: The ‘Skip-care’ diet
If you are a time-pressed adult who refused to hop on the bandwagon with the 10-step skincare routine, we hear you. This new ‘Skip-care diet’ is all about condensing your skincare steps with multi-purpose products. This skincare hack lets you shop for Korean skincare products in Singapore that helps to save both time and space. Here’s a smart time-saver tip – did you know that Nature Republic Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel (myCK store price $4.50) can be used as a moisturiser, makeup base, eye mask, face mask, post-shaving cream and more?
#9: Facial masks
If you have friends travelling to Korea, there’s a high chance you might be receiving facial masks as gifts. Myeongdong is a mask heaven, thanks to the plethora of varieties and friendly prices. In fact, most of these popular Korean facial mask brands are sold in Singapore too! Be spoilt for choice from sheet mask, overnight sleeping mask, gel mask, bubble masks and more.
Facial masks are recommended for use twice weekly as a treat, or daily as part of your skincare regime. Pick masks suitable for your skin type, and skin concerns. For oily skin, keep to using oil control masks up to twice a week and you alternate with hydrating masks on other days to maintain sebum and moisture balance.
Shop for these made-in-Korea masks in Singapore to feed your skin: Rainbow L’AFFAIR Multi-Care V5 Vitamin Mask (myCK store price $2.20) loads skin with vitamin-rich essence for healthy skin; Pascucci Good Face Eco Mask Sheet (myCK store price $1) is popular for its Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate to remove keratin and improve elasticity in addition to herbal nourishment from pearl extracts; Nature Republic Real Nature Hydrogel Mask (myCK store price $1.90) adheres comfortably to facial contours, drenching skin with moisture and nourishment from Camomile and Kakadu Plum.
Where to buy popular Korean skincare products in Singapore?
Thanks to the burst of K-pop culture and good-looking Korean men who show that it’s cool to care for their skin, anyone can have Instagram-worthy selfies with the right skincare products.
Shop for your favourite Korean skincare products at myCK stores! Whichever popular Korean skincare trends you are following, you will find the right products that fit your skin needs and routine.
