UNITED STATES—Having smooth and glowing skin is something everyone longs for. Your skin’s condition is heavily reflected by the air quality, water hardness, your diet, and most notably: your skincare regimen. For people who are striving to get rid of dull, uneven, oily, or dry skin: look no further. A miracle has arrived in the shape of Korean skincare. 

A little while ago, Korean skincare was introduced and has been all the rage since. I looked into the beauty secrets behind the skincare products and regimes to understand just what the fuss was about and to decipher whether or not it lived up to its reputation of being a savior for the skin.  

Not only is the packaging adorned with adorable and bright patterns and shapes (how cute is this animal shaped sun stick?), but the product inside is highly concentrated and amazing for skin, oftentimes bearing instant results. Korean skincare has a huge emphasis on concentrated serums and creams, an example of that would be serums I found on the Peach and Lily website, more specifically the booster-serums.  

These highly concentrated serums are packed with vitamins and are oftentimes recommended to be used with a lotion or even another serum. A little more high end, the Amarte Eyeconic Eye Cream which will put a dent in your wallet (to the tune of $80) has almost twice the amount of retinol that is typical of products in the United States. While it is fairly expensive, retinol of that quantity is extremely efficient in anti-aging properties.  Since it is so highly concentrated, make sure to read the product description for side effects.

Another key concept that I drew from my research was that Korean skincare focuses on prevention rather than fixing the complexion.  For instance, always wearing sunscreen and products with SPF in them to prevent harmful sun damage to the skin at an early age is a must. In fact, most of the beauty stores sell sunscreen that serves multiple purposes (I love the Brightening Up Sun SPF cream from My Skin Mentor Dr. G).  A lot of their foundations or BB creams come equipped with SPF 50+ to ensure skin safety and beauty.  

Tony Moly, which is based out of South Korea, is one of my absolute favorite lines of skincare. It is now widely used by Americans as it first debuted at Urban Outfitters in the form of sheet masks and has spread to many beauty stores. Their sheet masks come in colorful packaging and noticeably improve your skin after only 30 minutes. From using a variety of extracts such as pearl, rice, and my favorite, wine, and costing only a mere $3, Tony Moly exceeds expectations and really gives you a bang for your buck.

The appearance and health of the skin is no easy feat.  SoKo Glam, a website with a multitude of Korean skincare products, offers an intricate step-by-step routine with four major categories: cleanse, prep, nourish and protect. Within these categories are subcategories, bringing the total amount of steps to 10.  While it seems quite time consuming, it is essential to complete all of the steps if you want to guarantee healthier skin.

Korean skincare is a god-sent gift and while it is no doubt a commitment, the results will have you singing its praises.