Korean skincare is something that has taken off in a big way in the USA over the last couple of years, but the whole whirlwind of wonder is only just beginning to trickle down into the UK recently, not least because Korean skincare products can be confusing to UK folk given the many ways in which the general regime itself differs from what we are used to, and also because Korean products cannot be bought in the average UK store.
I finally found myself a beauty subscription box in the UK that specialises in Korean skincare, and decided that this was as good a place as any to use as a basis for learning more and picking up some swag, given that I didn’t actually have a clue what I was doing.
What you need to know about Korean stuff
Other than the fact that it is really hard to buy Korean skincare/makeup products in the UK apart from by ordering from abroad online, getting to grips with the basics of it all can be a challenge.
Given the size and population of Korea, the sheer volume of different products and types of products output from the region is batshit insane, so I reckon Korean girls must be among the most savvy skincare lasses in the world, not to mention having some serious disposable income!
Just picking a Korean product to substitute for your normal stuff isn’t so simple either-while here in the UK, skincare tends to be cleanse, tone and moisturise, maybe throwing in a bit of eye cream or serum too, the average Korean skincare regime consists of some 10-12 steps-which means that where we’d have, say, a moisturiser, your average Korean chick probably has four or five different products and steps just to cover this one base.
Additionally, some of the concepts and popular themes in Korean skincare can be hard to understand too-for instance, low pH cleansers is the current hot shit, but I am unsure as to why a low pH cleanser is cool, or whether or not I need one…
All of which is my roundabout way of saying that without a clue to cling to, I ordered a Korean subscription box and let someone else do the picking for me.
The packaging
Korean skincare and makeup is often funky and weird, which is part of the entertainment value for me. I mean, look at this:
And tell me with a straight face that you don’t want it, even if you don’t have a blue clue what it actually is.
Signature products
A lot of Korean skincare products are designed to have a brightening and/or lightening effect, which may be relevant to Goths who like to keep things pale.
As mentioned, a lot of Korean stuff is unusual, and they aren’t afraid of trying new things-such as the current hot ingredient in a lot of moisturisers and serums, snail slime.
No honestly, snail slime face products-it’s either Goth or gross, depending on your viewpoint. Literally, somewhere in Korea they “farm” snails (and I have to assume, run a truly hardcore snail racetrack too) and harvest their slime, humanely and without killing all of the caravanning slugs, and this stuff is apparently the last word in anti-aging moisture, as the sheer gamut of face and eye creams containing it bear out.
Sheet masks feature heavily too, and I get the vague impression that Korean girls probably use a sheet mask 2-3 times a week on average.
Finally, Korean skincare stuff can range in price from under a fiver to well north of £30 an item, depending on what you’re looking at and where you buy it-so it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get yourself started off with it either.
Do you use any Korean skincare stuff? Tell me in the comments.
Its not as hard as you might think to get subsitute products in the uk. I did my research on a basic 10 step routine to find out what the steps are and what the products actually are. Then i tweaked with my own needs for exfoliation etc.
The easiest bit is double cleansing. An oil based cleanser then a facial wash. Toner and essence are a bit trickier but superdrug has some good options. Nsa ampuloe from asda are good
Serum is easy as well. Treatment again superdrug . Eye creams and moisturiser compliments of oil of ulay and loreal. Boots and most chemists do servicable sheet masks. I factor in 3 a week monday wed and friday and on tuesdays and thursdays i do a salon style facial at home. Finally twice a week rather than use a night cream i use a sleep mask. Average cost of a product is about 4 quid. However individual products can exceed that. I push the boat out on preventative treatments like sleep mask and ampolue but even my ampuloe is only 10. Its time consuming but as i wear a very heavy look skincare is essential. It seems to work no one ever guesses my age and i can still pull off a young look without looking like mutton dressed as lamb.