In the past year, I switched over most of my skincare routine to Korean Beauty (K-beauty) products and let me tell you, my skin is glowing! I’ve always been sort of skeptical whenever I heard people rave about how life-changing K-beauty products are, especially considering many of the price-points, but I finally bit the bullet and tried some out myself and I’m never going back.
So, I thought I would take the time to share some of my favourite products in case you’re looking to try something new.
As for where I buy my K-beauty products, I’m lucky to have a couple of stores/malls nearby where I can access these products: Innisfree, Sukoshi Mart, The Face Shop and some items are even available at Sephora. You can also get a lot of these products online. For reference, I’ve included my skin type as well!
Skin type: combination skin, sensitive
Skin concerns: breakouts, uneven tone, early signs of aging and dark circles.
1. Innisfree – Pore clearing facial foam with volcanic cluster
I *love* this cleanser, and to be honest this is the first time I’ve really felt this way about any facial cleanser!
I’ve noticed a huge difference in my pores, I don’t break out as much and unlike other clearing facial cleansers it doesn’t dry out my skin. It’s a gentle exfoliant which is perfect for my sensitive skin.
Available: Innisfree stores (STC, Yorkdale) and online (US only).
2. Innisfree – Clarifying Spot Serum with Bija Seed Oil
I’ve tried a lot of different spot treatments before, and I always felt the same about them – I liked them, kind of thought they helped, but could never really tell for sure.
Y’all, this spot treatment is freaking witchcraft.
I used this before going to bed and noticed a drastic improvement the next day. After two uses (so two days) my breakout was completely gone. I was blown away. This spot serum is formulated with Jeju Bija Seed Oil and Salicylic Acid from Willow Bark extract.
Available: Innisfree stores (STC, Yorkdale) and online (US only).
3. Tonymoly – I’m Real sheet masks
I know what you’re thinking: finally, an item on this list that isn’t Innisfree! (I really do love their products.)
Tonymoly’s “I’m Real” sheet masks have to be my all-time favourite sheet masks. I could write an entire blog post just on these guys and why I love each one. They all have different purposes, but my favourite masks are broccoli (vitality), tomato (radiance), seaweed (purifying), pomegranate (elasticity) and aloe (moisturizing).
What I love the most about these masks is they aren’t too heavy on my skin. As mentioned, I have combination skin and a lot of other masks I’ve tried are too heavy and tend to irritate my skin or cause breakouts which kind of defeats the whole purpose of using a face mask. I find sheet masks in general to be better for this, but these ones are my favourite. They’re lightweight but I still see a noticeable difference in my skin almost immediately after use.
Available: Sukoshi Mart (STC) and online.
4. Yehwadam – Revitalizing Toner
I love this entire line by Yehwadam, but if I had to pick just one item from it I’d have to choose the Revitalizing Toner. I always used to skip toner when it came to my skincare routine, it just seemed like such a hassle and the ones I tried before never seemed to work so I just gave up all together.
I was given a sample of this after purchasing something else and I had what can only be described as a “eureka” moment after trying this – turns out everything I thought about toner was all wrong and I just hadn’t found the right one for me yet. I’ve drank the kool-aid and I’m never going back to a toner free life.
This particular toner replenishes dry skin with moisture, while working to revitalize skin to its natural radiance and prevents the signs of premature aging.
Available: The Face Shop and online.
5. Glow Recipe – avocado retinol sleeping eye mask
Anything that can help reduce dark circles, puffiness and dryness while I sleep is a win in my books! I noticed some improvements after even after just one use and a huge change after long-term use. I like to use this a few times a week.
Available: Sephora, in-stores and online.
Have you used any K-beauty products before? Tell me what you love!
