Why Are We Obsessed With the Korean Beauty Regime?

Here’s the short answer: because it’s awesome!

The long answer? Well, that requires a little bit of explaining. Over the course of the last few years, Korean skincare and makeup have made their way to the international mainstream. According to K-beauty statistics, the market size for Korean beauty products was valued at $10.2 billion in 2019 and is set to reach a whopping $13.9 billion by 2027. 

Everyone knows about K-beauty, and everyone has heard of the infamous ten-step beauty regimen that Korean beauty gurus employ every day to keep their skin looking and feeling like a springtime’s bloom. 

But what is it that makes these products and this beauty regime so popular and beloved by all who try them? The reasons are numerous, so we’ve made a list to help you understand. 

All the steps make for a luxurious experience

Our skincare is usually rushed. We’ll practically rip our makeup off in the evening, give our face a quick wash, and maybe use a moisturizer if we’re not feeling too lazy. This is all understandable – after all, we’re tired after a full day of hard work. However, this kind of carelessness takes its toll very quickly, and it’s not until we get a bunch of blemishes and wrinkles that we start thinking about changing something.

A full K-beauty regime with all of its ten steps gives us a completely different experience and a different mindset. Instead of rushing through everything, we get to luxuriate, we get to nurture, we get to glow and cherish our own beauty. 

All the steps have a real purpose and can be adjusted

Just as a reminder, here’s a quick rundown of the ten steps for your evening routine: 

1. Oil cleanser
2. Water cleanser
3. Exfoliator
4. Toner
5. Essence
6. Ampoule
7. Serum
8. Sheet mask
9. Eye cream
10. Moisturizer

While it sounds extensive, each and every step of Korean skin care has a purpose and can be adjusted to suit your needs. For example, you only need to exfoliate your skin once or twice a week, and you don’t really need to use an oil cleanser if you didn’t wear any makeup that day. You can also use a sheet mask only once or twice a week, and if you’re using essence, you don’t always have to use a serum as well. 

It’s perfectly fine to tailor everything to your skin. This whole regimen isn’t as much about the ten steps, as it is about the philosophy behind it: take good care of your skin and you’ll retain its youthfulness well into old age. 

We’re putting skincare over makeup

Modern YouTube beauty gurus are fun, but we’ve all become a little sick of their cakey, excessive makeup that hides their skin instead of enhancing their beauty. Heavy makeup is on its way out because Korean beauty helped us realize the importance of skin care. The fact of the matter is this: if you take great care of your skin, you won’t need much makeup to look absolutely stunning. 

The results are obvious

It might be a little difficult to get used to such an extensive regimen, but once you do, you’ll quickly see the results. This gentle, careful nurture will become obvious on your face because your skin will simply look fresh, velvety, and above all, healthy. 

It’s entirely possible to smooth out some of your wrinkles, bring back that youthful plumpness, and even out your skin tone until everything looks bright and smooth. Who wouldn’t want to look gorgeous like that?

The formulas are clean

A lot of Western skincare has a ton of cheap, filler ingredients that don’t really do anything for your skin and can even be actively harmful. Korean skincare is generally a lot cleaner because the companies use quality ingredients and don’t put in any useless fillers that are only going to clog your pores.

With K-beauty, you can expect to enjoy good formulas that are genuinely nurturing for your sensitive, delicate skin. If you want the products you buy to actually do something beneficial, you’ve got to make sure you’re purchasing the ones that are legitimately well-made. 

Better bang for your buck

With all these benefits, you’d expect K-beauty to be as pricey as diamond. However, this is not the case at all – a lot of Korean beauty products are actually fairly affordable. While you definitely have some high-end brands that are super expensive, plenty of the things you can find can fit almost any kind of budget. You won’t break the bank attempting to introduce this amazing routine into your daily life. 

Allow us to summarize this in a single sentence: Korean beauty relies on prevention rather than the cure. Instead of letting your skin get all wrinkly and uneven, Korean women take special care to simply never let their youth get away from them in the first place. That’s why this beauty regimen is so awesome, and that’s why you should try it.