Have you ever wondered what are the difference between Asian and Western skincare products? Why has Asian skincare; more specifically Korean skincare, taken over the world by storm? It's time to get to the bottom of this!
1: Philosophy
First off, when we think of Korean skincare, most of their products focus on preventing skin impurities and perfecting the skin, whereas with Western skincare, they have a much bigger emphasis on chemical exfoliation with products that work fast to solve all your skincare woes.
While Western skincare generally focuses on anti-aging, Korean Beauty is all about having a dialogue with your skin – listening to the skin’s needs with a holistic approach.
According to Koreans, beauty is defined by good, healthy skin; they use skin care to heal any skin problems, while Western beauty often uses make up to cover up flaws.
One example is Korean skincare's approach to toners. Toners in Korean Beauty are super important as it’s the first liquid step of hydration. Toners absorb into the skin faster than the other steps, hydrating the skin and setting it up to better absorb following skincare steps. Toners in Western beauty are usually astringent and are often skipped in a skincare routine.
2: Skincare Routine
Another big difference is how you build your routine in Western or Asian skincare.
Western skincare seems to encourage a 3-4 step routine with very powerful products that will address all your needs.
Let’s talk Asian beauty routines. It is very common in that your skin care routine contains 10-12 skin care products, specifically that magic unicorn, the 10-step Korean skincare routine. Asian skincare is designed to solve individual problems with each product. A 11-step skin care routine will consist of: using an oil cleanser, foam cleanser, 2-3 times a week exfoliating pads, toner, essence, ampoule (also known as a serum), and a sheet mask once or twice a week, eye cream, moisturizer, cream and a lip mask. Although it might some daunting, but trust me, your skin will thank you later, especially when using regularly. This applies even to hair care like Dr.ForHair's Essential 3 Steps Scalp Care regime.
But having said that, one common misconception is that K-Beauty is always a complicated, 15-step routine. This is not true, as the routine should be specific to your skin type and what your skin requires.
3: Beauty & Skincare Products Are Unisex
Who says that skincare & beauty only resonates with women? it is common for both men and women to use skincare products in Asia, and they are targeted by brands with beauty & skincare products, as with their obsession of taking care of their skin.
This is especially prevalent In South Korea as they start early with skin care, parents teach about skin care when their children are young.This has resulted in products designed specifically to address problems men face with their skin.
Join the conversation