5 Korean Skin Care Principles That Make Anyone's Skin Better

Beauty enthusiasts from all walks of life embrace Korean skin care, from its products to its philosophies. Predicated on appealing ideas such as gentleness, deep cleansing, hydration, and bringing out your best skin, K-beauty pretty much goes against most of what we grew up knowing about skin care.

For example, Koreans don’t dry out pimples. Instead, they heal them with moisture. They promoted dewy, glass skin back when matte skin was all the rage. They encourage customization of skin repair routine and embracing what you feel is good for your skin. Do you like how this sounds so far? Here are five principles of K beauty skin care that can help improve your skin, whatever products you use.

The Korean double-cleansing method dispelled many beauty myths that likely kept you from achieving healthy, glowing skin. First, it shows that people with oily skin don’t have to be afraid of using oil-based products. Second, cleansing your skin twice doesn't dry it out and make it feel tight and itchy. Third, you do not need extra-strong products to remove sebum, SPF buildup, and stubborn makeup. 

According to an article in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, double cleansing helps control breakouts without being overly drying, especially in individuals who use makeup on acne-prone skin. Well-loved and practiced in K-beauty, it’s the first essential step (or two) in getting clear, healthy skin.

In a society obsessed with matte-ness, K-beauty dared to introduce dewy skin. Carefully differentiated from oiliness, dewy skin is plump, hydrated, and radiant. It has shiny qualities not because of excess sebum, but because it is so smooth and moisturized that it’s almost reflective.

In Korean skin care, you can achieve this through using serums with hydrating and refining ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, like POND's Triple Glow Serum. It brightens, smoothens, and hydrates skin for a triple glow action by harnessing the powers of the ingredients above, plus Gluta-boost C. Don't forget your body care as well! Get rid of dull skin by using Vaseline Gluta-Hya Serum Burst Dewy Radiance, which has Gluta-glow and Hyaluron to promote intense hydration while giving your skin a healthy glow.

In K-beauty, hydration is the key to everything. Want to get rid of acne? Stop trying to dry it out. Instead, complement your acne-fighters like salicylic acid with ultra-hydrating ingredients to strengthen the skin and prevent further irritation. The many steps in K-beauty all usually incorporate hydrating ingredients to pile it onto the skin, contributing to that coveted K-beauty glow.

Masking is one step in Korean skincare routines that aims to deliver water and nutrients to the skin. Find a mask that promotes bright, glowing skin from first use. Read the label for vitamin C and sodium hyaluronate. These ingredients brighten the skin and provide intense moisturization.

K-beauty is also responsible for introducing the patting method of applying skincare. Whereas most Western beauty magazines always used the word “slather,” which means to spread or smear, the Korean way involves patting products onto the skin, supposedly for better absorption and minimum waste. It's also much gentler on the skin versus rubbing it in since it reduces the risk of tugging or dragging at the skin.

Speaking of patting, K-beauty is all about gentle methods and ingredients. It treats the skin as an organ made of cells that could get damaged — not a surface that requires heavy-duty cleaning and treatment. You may have noticed that physical scrubs and ingredients that can make skin sensitive (such as retinol) are not in many K-beauty products. It advocates gentle yet highly effective ingredients which focus on slowly healing and strengthening the skin.

Love Korean skin care? Make sure to understand the reason behind their methods to achieve the best results for your skin.