About a month and a half ago, I went to Korea. It was my first-ever time in Asia. I loved the food. I loved getting to visit the headquarters of LG Display and Samsung and marvel at their technologically-advanced wonders. And then I discovered Korean skincare.
I’ve talked on the blog before about my naturally horrible skin. I have dealt with medication-worthy acne for years. For some reason, I get legit every skin infection under the sun (I was even hospitalized for one once – that’s where the scar between my eyes comes from). So, when I was in Korea, I bought a few Korean skincare products just to see if they lived up to the hype/could do anything to help my acne.
Y’all, my skin has never looked better. So I thought I’d share the best Korean skincare products I’ve discovered thus far with y’all, in the hopes my skincare regimen might help one or two of y’all out too! You can buy all of the products I’ve listed below on Amazon… so if you worry about where to buy Korean beauty products while not in Korea, I’ve got ya covered.
PS I’m sharing the dirty deets about a HUGE sale at the very bottom of this post!
What I’m Wearing:
Pajamas: Nordstrom / Teacup: Anthropologie (similar, similar)
Tray: Wendi Kushner Photography (email me for information!)
Snail Solution Emulsion / Snail Solution Mask Sheets / Snail Solution Eye Cream
Super Aqua Max Watery Essence / Super Aqua Max Watery Cream
Clear Spot Patch / it’s real Mask Sheets / Bee Venom Spot Treatment
The Best Korean Skincare Products
Okay – let’s start with my #1 favorite Korean beauty product for acne-prone skin: the Nature Republic Clear Spot Patch. These patches are clear little circles medicated plastic circles that come on a sheet. Each sheet contains about 20 or so circles of varying sizes (because we get zits of varying sizes!). Before you go to bed, you just put a circle on clear skin on the zit. The next morning, the zit is either gone or significantly diminished in size.
It’s like magic. Slash it actually is magic (the kind of magic that lets you get rid of a zit overnight).
For a double-whammy (or as a preventative measure), I also like to use the Nature Republic Bee Venom on my acne-prone areas. This product (as well as everything else I use) is surprisingly fine for sensitive skin, though I think it is better at clearing redness than actual zitcreaturesfromtheblacklagoon.
Nature Republic Snail Solution
My next favorite products are the Nature Republic Snail Solution line. I really love the Nature Republic Snail Solution Mask Sheets and their Emulsion… though I haven’t yet decided for sure how much I adore the eye cream. (Nothing against the eye cream – the sheet masks and the emulsion are just that good!)
I actually originally received sample sizes of both of these products after shopping in the Nature Republic store in Seoul. When I got back to my room that evening, my roommate and I decided to try the masks.
Don’t worry – they smell delicious!
The masks take about 15-20 minutes (and you definitely look like a crazy person with them on – there’s no helping that). The moment I took mine off that first time in Korea, my roommate turned to me and said “OH MY GOD YOU ARE GLOWING”. Y’all: my skin looked that good.
I immediately purchased the full-sized versions of both the emulsion and the masks. And the eye cream.
Since then, I have turned legit all of my friends and family members on to the snail solution line. Or as I like to call them, “snails”. The emulsion dries matte, while the mask sheets are ultra-hydrating (great for my dry, sensitive skin!). If you have oily or combination skin, not to worry: my mom has oily skin and she is obsessed with the snails too!
If you buy nothing else from this post, I highly recommend you buy these two products. They are hands-down the best Korean skincare products in my opinion!
The Innisfree it’s real Squeeze Masks are also really good products and are a more “normal” alternative if the whole snail thing freaks you out. The masks come in a variety of scents – I like the rose and the cucumber masks the most!
Nature Republic Super Aqua Max
This serum and moisturizer were actually recommended to me by the salesperson in the store… and I’m so glad I listened to her! The Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Watery Essence is for dry skin, whereas the Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Watery Cream is actually for combination skin. Together, they have a nice scent and a matte finish… so they’re perfect for wearing under your makeup during the daytime!
If you’re looking for some Korean beauty products for sensitive skin or for combination skin, I highly recommend both of these products. If you have dry skin, I still recommend this line… but I think the snail masks do a better job of hydrating your skin.
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