When it comes to Korean skincare, one of the things that can be tricky for newcomers is wrapping your head around all the ingredients. For a start, there are simply so many ingredients. Many of them, you'll not have heard of or be very familiar with. If you're new to the game, here are the ingredients you won't want to miss!
It's one of K-Beauty's favourite ingredients going on at least five years now. Centella asiatica is a plant that grows in the marshy soils of Southeast Asia, Australia, and Africa. It is known for its restorative effects and wound healing characteristics.
In beauty products, it's used for its smoothing, soothing and purifying properties. However, in K-Beauty it goes by a couple of different names - Cica and occassionally also Tiger's Grass.
Lightweight, ultra-versatile and perfect for everyday use, Subi Brightening Powder Cleanser is a shapeshifter that does the work of several products in one. It cleanses, can even exfoliate and is perfect to leave the house and travel with. Best of all, it has a stellar ingredients list featuring Cica (centella).
This unique all-in-one mist is perfect for the face and body, helping to care for troubled or sensitive skin wherever it occurs. Apply it anywhere your skin is rough, bumpy, red or sensitized for immediate soothing relief.
This is a hydrating serum that nourishes your skin with 29 kinds of gentle yet effective ingredients. Centella is just one of the many green ingredients incorporated, including noni, heart leaf, green tea, and mugwort. Together, they help relieve tired skin and provide comfort and relief.
K-Beauty Ingredients to Know - Ginseng
Ginseng is a herb that has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for its restorative properties, with records of its use going as far back as 196 AD. Taken orally, ginseng has been used to treat everything from tiredness and nausea to lowering blood sugar and boosting the immune system.
Ginseng is so widespread and prized that it’s common in Korea and China to give and receive ginseng supplements as gifts during special holidays. With a growing body of research demonstrating the potential for ginseng as a topical ingredient, TCM-influenced Korean skincare brandSulwhasoobegan formulating ginseng skincare products in 1960. Since then, both Eastern and Western skincare companies have developed products that include ginseng.
No ingredient is more prized in Korean beauty than wild red ginseng. That's because of the ability it has to transform the skin. However, because the process for extracting red ginseng is so much more difficult than cultivated ginseng, it is not a cheap ingredient. That's why you will only find it in the most truly luxurious Korean skincare products.
Like this beloved facial oil.
The History Of Whoo Jinyulhyang Red Wild Ginseng Facial Oil is a once in a lifetime, must-try product for true lovers of Korean skin care products.
This essence takes inspiration from the wedding rituals of Korean nobility, where brides-to-be would bathe in ginseng water for glowing and refined skin before their weddings. Utilising four types of ginseng extract, this essence includes 80% ginseng water for smoother, brighter and more revitalized skin.
K-Beauty Ingredients You Need to Know - Glutathione
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that naturally occurs in the skin. It acts as a free radical scavenger and detoxifying agent, defending skin against the visible effects of environmental damage.
The natural decline of glutathione in the body is believed to be a key marker of many outward signs of aging. It is made up of three different amino acids: glutamine, glycine, and cysteine. It is present in every cell in the body.
We love it because it prevents and delays cell damage and death. Studies have shown that people who live well into their old age have high levels of glutathione.
Packed with a veritable buffet of hard-hitting anti-aging ingredients, APLB’s unique blend of patented ingredients actively improves the clarity of your complexion
Designed especially for mornings, APLB Glutathione Brightening Tone Up Cream is perfect for dull, uneven skin tones. It gives your skin a totally natural glow up that’s perfect for those suffering from pigmented skin and large, wide pores.
To find out more about glutathione, tune into this episode of the Korean Beauty Show podcast:
Korean Beauty Ingredients To Know - Mugwort
Mugwort (AKA a type of “Artemisia”) is in precisely everything at the moment in Korea, so it’s only a matter of time before the western world follows suit and releases it’s own K-inspired Mugwort varietals.
Like Centella asiatica, mugwort is an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial powerhouse. Touted for its ability to reduce redness and sensitivity and comparable to Vitamin C in terms of antioxidant levels, this ingredient is perfect for those with dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin.
This soothing ampoule is made from 85% mugwort collected from the Ganghwa region of Korea. It is extracted using the Time-Drop method, which helps it to better soothe sensitive skin quickly. Made on a base of 85% mugwort extract rather than water, this green ampoule sinks straight into the skin. It soothes, strengthens and calms all kinds of skin types.
Not only does this popular toner have a minimal ingredients list, it contains a high concentration of Korean mugwort. Thanks to a 100% vegan, cruelty free formula, it is perfect for animal lovers.
Korean Beauty Ingredients You Need to Know - Snail Secretion Filtrate
Although it might sound gross to the uninitiated, snail mucin has numerous benefits for skin. With its ability to repair, actively hydrate, reduce the appearance of fine lines and help acne scarring, it’s little wonder snail mucin finds itself in some of the hottest K-Beauty products on the market.
Snail mucin naturally contains proteins, elastin, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and copper peptides, which work together to moisturise skin and support collagen. The allantoin found in snail secretion works to calm irritated skin.
This is one of K-Beauty’s all-time best-selling products. Loaded with replenishing and revitalising nutrients, it gives you the ultimate elasticity and hydration. Think of this as a vitamin boost for your face! It’s designed to be used after your toner and before your serum.
The best part? No sticky, greasy or heavy residue. Just a beautiful light essence that will lock in moisture and promote skin renewal as the day (or night) wears on.
One of STYLE STORY's best-selling snail creams, this has a perfectly balanced PH level of 5.5 making it ideal for all skin types. It provides long-lasting hydration, controls the appearance of large pores, and improves skin texture.
This cream is perfect for skin that has been damaged by the external elements, including pollution, sun, and wind. Other star ingredients include Centella asiatica and Macadamia Seed Oil, making this cream a must try.
Trends towards a focus on natural ingredients in skincare have brought attention to a range of botanicals that have a range of great benefits for your skin. Heartleaf, a plant native to Southeast Asia, is appearing in more and more skincare products for its calming and soothing benefits!
A number one seller in Korea, Abib Heartleaf Essence Calming Pump is a skin soothing essence. Formulated with heartleaf extract it helps to create calmer, more nourished skin. Heartleaf is a plant native to Southeast Asia. You'll probably have noticed it appearing in more and more skincare products these days and that's thanks to its skin soothing benefits.
This serum nourishes your skin with 29 kinds of gentle ingredients. It gets its name from the combination of green ingredients, including noni, heart leaf, green tea, centella asiatica, mugwort. When used together, they can help relieve tired skin and provide comfort and relief to sensitive skin.
This is formulated to soothe, hydrate, and moisturize your irritated skin. Begin your first glass skin regimen with Anua heartleaf 80% moisture soothing ampoule! Heartleaf extract (houttuynia cordata) is well known for its soothing effects on the skin. Anua only uses heartleaf ingredients that were grown and harvested in Korea.
“It's one of K-Beauty's favourite ingredients going on at least five years now. Centella asiatica is a plant that grows in the marshy soils of Southeast Asia, Australia, and Africa.”
