Korean Skincare Ingredients: The Breakdown
Ready to achieve your best skin yet?
The biggest skincare trend of the moment? K-Beauty. Our friends in South Korea have been using specialist ingredients for hundreds of years to achieve globally envied, youthful, healthy skin. While K-beauty has entered the UK beauty space, lots of questions remain about the ingredients inside. What do they do? And how do they work? LOOKFANTASTIC are here to guide you through the ancient ingredients that are new to us, so you will have glowing, glass-like skin in no time.
Shop LOOKFANTASTIC's full range of K-Beauty here.
Snail Mucin
Yes, like garden snails. Snail mucin is literally snail slime. While it might be off-putting to learn this, hear us out:
So yes, those garden critters are actually coated in the hottest skincare ingredient on the market. Snails are not slimy – they are hydrated!
272
£27.99
28
£15.00
1
£22.00
Centella
120
£23.90
20
£6.00
57
RRP: £23.90Current price: £19.12
Propolis
60
£15.00
11
£55.00
21
£33.99
Niacinamide
532
£9.00
667
£12.50
9
£22.00
Rice
10
£15.50
34
£15.00
9
£22.00
Hyaluronic Acid
Do not be concerned by its acidic name. Hyaluronic acid is a gentle ingredient that attracts and retains water. This means that it is a very powerful hydrator, and it is generally suitable for every single skin type. It can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water and is ideal for working to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and promotes skin elasticity.
In fact, hyaluronic acid is one of the most searched for skincare ingredients. Many people have discovered the inclusive, gentle, deeply hydrating powers of this acid.
4
£9.00
109
£33.50
6
£22.00
Green Tea
Perhaps not the green tea that you would drink, but a very concentrated, specially picked green tea is used in skincare. It has strong antioxidant capabilities, as well as being anti-inflammatory. Green tea is used in skincare that works to help acne, ageing, rosacea, inflammation, redness, oily skin, UV damage, and collagen.
Green tea is truly an all-rounder of skincare ingredients, and ideal for being used in many skincare items, from SPF to serums and treatments.
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£15.00
5
£25.00
6
RRP: £12.00Current price: £9.60
Mugwort
Similarly to green tea, mugwort has a huge range of applications. A common weed, this plant has historically been used in medicines and is now famed for its skincare benefits.
It has uses for almost any skin type. For those with dry skin, it can help hydrate and plump. If you have sensitive skin, mugwort is anti-inflammatory and soothing. It can brighten and even skin, protect from free radicals, and can help to repair the skin barrier. Not bad for a common weed.
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RRP: £15.50Current price: £12.40
Ginseng
Our final ingredient, and it repeats the same all-encompassing range of benefits as many on this list. Ginseng is known to be anti-inflammatory, packed with antioxidants, brightening, and anti-ageing. It can help to control excess sebum so is great for those with oily skin, and can even help with hydration by helping the skin to retain moisture.
84
£17.00
22
£40.00
105
£15.00
About Korean Skincare
“Korean skincare” has a whopping monthly search volume of 49,500. Top K-beauty brand LANEIGE boasts a monthly search volume of 60,500, with Erborian and Beauty of Joseon following closely behind. This “trend” is not slowing down, and we are sure K-beauty is becoming a permanent part of the Western skincare industry. Korea's worst kept secret is finally at our fingertips.
Discovering makeup in the 2010's era of full glam was always going to lead me to beauty writing. A lover of pop culture and language, my content is always rooted in modern day trends. My beauty holy grails are the LANEIGE Lip Glowy Balms, L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, detox masks for my skin, and any hair product that promises to repair, hydrate, and strengthen!
