Welcome to Dispatch From Korea, a series where you’ll get the inside scoop on the latest K-beauty news straight from our friends at Soko Glam’s Seoul office. Today they’re talking about how Koreans do body care.
In Korea, facial skin care routines are elaborate and well thought out, but what about body routines? I recently reached out to friends and family members here in Korea to ask them about their body skin care routines, and which products they enjoy best. What I was surprised to learn is that everyone I spoke with follows the same basic steps in their body care routines (with a special emphasis on moisturizing of course), though the products they use, and the reasons why, vary greatly.
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Read on below for body care tips and product recommendations, straight from the skin care-obsessed in Seoul.
Step 1: Cleanse
Just like any good facial skin care routine, the body skin care routine starts with a thorough cleanse. Hot water in the bath or shower can dry out skin, so it’s important to choose a cleanser that doesn’t strip skin of moisture or leave it feeling itchy and dry. Applying a body cleanser with a soft cloth or loofah helps add a gentle exfoliation.
Illiyoon, part of the Amore Pacific family, is one of the most popular skin care brands in Korea, with a focus on using Korean herbal and moisturizing ingredients. Because their products are so gentle, they’re often used by parents on babies and children.
Chasin’ Rabbits’ Mindful Bubble Cleanse, formulated with charcoal and bamboo water, also provides a great body cleanse through the usage of micro-bubbles.
Step 2: Exfoliate
Korean saunas are well known for their excellent exfoliating services using a viscose mitt or towel to buff away dead skin cells. Viscose mitts and towels are also popular in-home exfoliating tools, in addition to loofah sponges, body brushes, and scrubs, for exfoliating the body 2-3 times per week.
One of the most well-known exfoliants in Korea is by the brand PLU. This exfoliant is a Korea Allure Magazine Best of Beauty Award Winner and features walnut powder. It’s available in a range of fragrances and formulas including White Musk and Berry Mix.
Step 3: Moisturize
This step was by far the most emphasized by everyone I spoke with about their skin care routines. Moisturizing is taught as a part of the daily skin care routine during childhood. I’ve witnessed many of my youngest cousins in Korea run from their nightly shower into the living room to have moisturizer applied by a parent or aunt before they put on their pajamas and go to sleep. By learning to moisturize at such a young age, moisturizing becomes second nature and an essential part of your skin care routine – once you reach your adult years.
The Klairs Supple Preparation All Over Lotion is a basic head to toe body lotion that works well with all skin types, including sensitive skin. Klairs is known for making reliably high-quality skin care products at great prices, which makes it a go-to brand for not only facial skin products, but also for body skin care.
Huxley Body Oil is formulated with botanical ingredients, including Sahara prickly pear seed oil, to add moisture to the skin. Layered with your favorite body lotion or used alone on wet or dry skin, body oil helps skin feel soft and smooth.
Step 4: Treat
So far, you’re probably already familiar with steps one through three, but have you considered adding treatments to your body skin care routine? There are a wide range of products available, from moisturizing and exfoliating foot masks to body conditioners to acne-fighting body sprays, that address specific skin concerns.
If you’re battling body acne, consider adding the Klavuu Green Pearlsation Tea Tree Care Body Spray to your routine. This cooling mist is formulated with tea tree oil and salicylic acid to fight body acne, plus pearl and algae extracts to brighten and soothe skin.
Conditioners aren’t just for hair anymore. Lush Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner contains cocoa, shea and cupuacu butters, plus brazil nut, almond and argan oils, to deeply moisturize skin. After cleansing, massage the conditioner all over the body and then rinse for soft skin.