As someone who only had the most basic skincare routine for most of my high school and college years (cleanser, moisturizer, sometimes sunscreen), I was overwhelmed by the avid beauty culture in South Korea. While I was a visiting student for the semester, I had goals to improve my skin and style here, but the sheer volume of products in the Korean beauty scene was both spellbinding and petrifying. Should I spend money on the new Torriden Dive-In Serum, or the Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum? Which masks in the aisle would be best for my face? Should I use toner? Do I have combination skin or oily skin?
Every corner had an Olive Young storefront, and the “70% Off” sale was more than tempting. I would definitely recommend starting off with some research on what products have worked for you, and what concerns you want to address. My hands were getting so dry from the climate here, so solving that was my primary concern;I needed a good body and face moisturizer to help keep my skin from peeling. I looked online and found good reviews about the ILLIYOON Ato Lotion and made sure to ask the staff about its quality before purchasing. I had my Cetaphil cleanser and a moisturizer, but was still lost about what sunscreen would be best. Sunscreen usually left an unnatural white film on my skin and tended to clog my pores, so I had been skeptical about it for some time. However, I was willing to try something new and picked up a Round Lab Birch Juice Moisturizing Sunscreen. I saw many girls piling their bags high with things, but I just opted to get some pimple patches and a tea tree mask before heading to the check out. Experimenting with only a couple of variables at a time would help me best realize what works for my skin.
I planned to try these products out for a couple of weeks, but I realized that taking a more intentional approach instead of being caught up in Instagram reels and TikToks was a lot more manageable for me. If you’re trying to start a skincare regimen and are similarly stressed about spending money on the right products, I would try to find a person or a website that is credible and tailor your purchases to your skin type. I can’t wait to get a complimentary skin analysis in the Olive Young flagship store and compare their recommendations to what I have been using so far!