Korean beauty products are making waves in South Africa.
How much effort goes into your skincare routine? Would you spend around an hour to improve your complexion? That’s what K Beauty asks you to do as its influence continues to sweep from Korea across the world.
With irresistible cutesy or chic packaging, Korean beauty has been around for several years, but is becoming more mainstream in South Africa.
Recently e-retailer Superbalist launched K Beauty as a new section in their offering, and in addition to the proliferation of online sites selling similar products in the country, you can now walk into a dedicated store called My KoCo in Fourways, Johannesburg to get your stash. There’s a slow trickle into retail pharmacies like Dis-Chem and Clicks.
A 10 Step Routine
Your stockpile would usually involve 10 steps using up to 15 products, personalised to suit your skin concerns, which is quite different to the three-step regime the big beauty houses have sold to us in the past – cleanse, tone, moisturise. Of course, now there are serums, eye creams, pre-cleanse oils, and more.
And our favourite sheet masks. Which you won’t use every day (along with other more specialised products), but you have to commit to a morning and night routine for skin that glows or looks like glass.
Makeup removal, double cleansing, (one oil-based, one water-based), exfoliation, toning, layering, essence and boosters, sheet masking, eye care, moisturisation and sunscreen all form part of the skincare regime.
You may also want to invest in facial brushes and rollers to really work those products in.
The plus side of this trend is that the products are generally more affordable, and you’ll use smaller amounts (though you need to find room to arrange them in your bathroom or dresser).
Another advantage is that you can save the money you would have spent on foundation and covering your skin’s seeming imperfections.
