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Advice

Our resident pharmacist answers your most-asked K-Beauty questions

Our resident pharmacist answers your most-asked K-Beauty questions
Tara Stevenson-Smith
Writer and expert4 months ago
View Tara Stevenson-Smith's profile

What is Korean beauty? 

Also known as K-beauty, Korean beauty typically refers to skin, hair and bodycare that originates from South Korea. Korean formulas are often made from natural ingredients, such as ginseng, bamboo and green tea, which are likely to be derived from antioxidant-rich botanical extracts. Many of these innovative ingredients focus on skin barrier health, in particular centella asiatica, which is rich in amino acids to help strengthen your surface layer and keep your complexion protected. 

What’s the best Korean moisturiser? 

There are many Korean beauty moisturisers on the market that will promote healthy-looking skin. I recommend the COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All-in-One Cream, as it is packed with skin-replenishing snail mucin, which helps to support a radiant, glowing finish. It’s also high in humectants to help draw moisture into skin, working alongside other hydrating ingredients such as sodium hyaluronate and panthenol to help soften and soothe. 

Which are the top Korean skincare brands? 

Top Korean skincare brands – such COSRX, Holika Holika, Erborian, Dr Jart+ and LANEIGE – have made their way into many modern-day routines, celebrated for their science-backed, efficacious ingredients. Some Korean brands also turn to multi-purpose formulas to help customers get more out of their beauty products – like the Holika Holika Aloe 99 Soothing Gel, which can be used as either calming after-sun care, or on your hair to help soften your strands!  

What’s the best Korean eye cream? 

You’ve probably heard of LANEIGE’s Lip Sleeping Mask, but the Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Eye Cream is a great hydrator for parched, dull-looking contours. The brand’s blue hyaluronic acid helps to deliver plumping moisture to the skin, complete with a silky, sensorial texture that works to smoothen the appearance of fine lines and brighten the look of dark circles. 

Which is the best Korean CC Cream?  

There are many good K-beauty CC Creams on the market, but for redness-prone or uneven-toned skin, Dr Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Colour Correcting Treatment might be the perfect addition to your regime. It helps to nourish, soothe and calm your skin with its neutralising formula, helping to minimise the appearance of redness with a blend of green pigments and tiger grass. It even changes colour to adapt to your skin tone, working to brighten and even out your complexion! 

Shop Korean Beauty at LOOKFANTASTIC 

Tara Stevenson-Smith
Writer and expert
View Tara Stevenson-Smith's profile
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been interested in all things beauty as I used to watch my mum do her makeup and hair all the time and then I would try and use her products! I now love finding the best beauty buys out there and then recommending them to my friends and family to find out there experience with using them. To me the beauty industry has no limits, you can use different products or even just one product to create a variety of looks and through using different tools it can be made into an experience tailored to you. For me, perfecting my base is my fave thing to do and play around with, as I like it to last me all day whilst still looking flawless! So a handful of high quality products that I can rely on to achieve my natural yet airbrushed effect daily look is an essential as it gives me the confidence to be bold. As I am always trying and testing out new foundations, concealers, powders, primers and setting sprays I feel like I have a handle on the best makeup products out there. I am an advocate in using products that make you feel FANTASTIC as well as LOOKING FANTASTIC! I am currently loving the NARS Afterglow Lip Balm in the shade 'Orgasm' as it adds the perfect sheen of colour onto my lips whilst also moisturising them!
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