Korean Skincare: More Than Just Hydration?

So your love affair with Korean skincare is going strong - maybe you’ve explored the essences, mists and never ending sea of hydrating toners. You’ve spent many evenings assembling your 8-10 step routine and drowning your face via the ‘7 skin method.’ Yes, Korea can do hydration and damn they do it well. But are we missing something?

Perhaps we have stereotyped the formulas coming from this pocket of the world for being good at one thing only, when in fact there is far more juice to be squeezed out than merely hydration! How did we overlook the incredibly balanced and skin-barrier respectful active formulations  within Korean product lineups? These combine the deeply nourishing and humectant rich ingredients we have grown to expect, with actives like peptides, exfoliating acids, antioxidants and other forms of skincare crack. Herein lies the true beauty of the Korean offering: you can have the best of both worlds! Ultimate hydration and skin-changing actives within one ingenious product. 

When it comes to the quest for even skin tone, we must all walk that fine line between potential irritation and enough stimulation - the skin often needs some active ingredients to brighten and achieve that glow. Korean skincare brands have mastered this balance and the options for correcting pigmentation are abundant. Cleverly, several formulas combine brightening antioxidants with botanical extracts and science-backed ingredients - all wrapped up in a bundle of moisture (of course). They are gentle, powerful and respectful to your skin barrier. By Wishtrend’s Vitamin C 21.5% Advanced Serum offers a high percentage of ascorbic acid formulated alongside some ultra comforting extracts, making this a gentle approach to vitamin C.  Alpha hydroxy acids will remove dull, damaged skin to achieve an even tone and smooth texture - find them in COSRX’s AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid and By Wishtrend’s Mandelic Acid 5% Prep Water. Niacinamide (B3) is an antioxidant with brightening and barrier-supporting benefits; I’m From’s Rice Toner combines it with humectants and skin-loving hydration! These are all formulated to achieve those brightening results, without the irritation that can hitch a ride alongside these active ingredients. 

There’s no need to compromise on efficacy or comfort - you can have both with these Korean curations.