Walk around the streets of Seoul or switch on any Korean TV show and the Korean obsession with beauty is immediately apparent.  But it’s not just about the exceptional products its a completely different way of thinking about skincare. 

Chok-Chok, the ultimate Korean skincare goal, doesn't have a direct English translation. It's a word formed from the sound that you hear when you lightly tap your skin with the fingers when it's dewy, plump and bouncy. 

The concept of dewiness is a recurring theme in Korean skin care.  While the Western approach is to beat your skin into submission with harsh formulas and aggressive exfoliation, the Koreans have a protective nourishing philosophy, emphasising gentle cleansing and multiple hydrating and moisturising layers where sun protection is key.  The basic Korean skincare routine boils down to removing makeup, cleansing, hydrating with a “toner”, treating with a serum or essence, and sealing everything in with a moisturiser, plus masking on a regular at basis.

There’s no Western equivalent to the Korean “toner”.  Like Western toners, they are watery and applied after cleansing, but they’re neither astringent nor meant to clean up after a half-hearted cleansing job (that’s what double cleansing is for). They are patted onto the skin and left there. Essential for Chok-Chok toners soften the skin, hydrate it, and sometimes perform a few extras. Koreans are big into hydration — which is essentially adding water to the skin and not to be confused with moisturising or adding oils to the skin — and toners are typically full of water-loving humectants like hyaluronic acid, snail mucin, ceramides, and aloe.

Essences and serums target specific conditions like dark spots, wrinkles, or dullness. They address some of the same things as toners, but they’re typically a thicker consistency and little more concentrated — and in Korea more gentle layers are preferred over one heavy-duty product.

Without a doubt, most of the world’s best-formulated sunscreens, come from Korea. Korean women wear sunscreen every single day, rain or shine, outdoors or indoors. Accordingly, the sunscreen market is hugely competitive, and brands are battling it out with advanced formulations that are both effective and easy to wear - not sticky and gross. The wearability of Korean sunscreens is the biggest surprise to those accustomed to Western versions.

Tired looking skin or break outs are never desirable, it’s all about youth and a healthy glow.  And nothing is better than Korean beauty products to give your skin the hydration it needs to stay smooth and glowing!

The best part about the Korean skin care routine. 

It doesn’t require a lot of commitment. By taking an extra 10 minutes out of your day, you will dramatically improve your skin’s texture and complexion. It’s never too late to get started – adopt the Korean skincare routine to achieve the ultimate goal of exceptional skin.