Written by: April Yu
With phenomena like K-beauty and J-beauty taking the world by storm, it’s no question that every country has its own unique skincare methods, products, brands, and traditions. Dozens of looks can be achieved with a few simple steps. Trends in the beauty industry evolve every day in conjunction with beauty standards, cultural fusion, and emphasis on sustainability and safe ingredients. So, what is it like to consume skincare products from different locations in the 21st century?
In our “Around the World in Skincare” series, we’ll look at several facets of skincare and beauty in different countries. In this article, we will be spotlighting skincare in five countries in Asia: Korea, Japan, India, China, and Singapore.
Korea
As Korean culture grows more beloved and glamorized by the world, K-pop, K-dramas, and celebrity culture have had a major influence on beauty standards and products.
At heart, Korean skincare is rooted in “pure hydration and respecting the skin barrier,” Liah Yoo, founder of Krave Beauty, told Allure. It focuses on nourishing skin, often to achieve an iconic glass skin look: healthy and luminous.
Korean skincare famously involves a carefully curated 10-step process, layering products in a certain order to maximize their effects. A typical routine consists of double-cleansing, exfoliation, toner, essence, treatment serum, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizing, and SPF. A 10-step routine is not always for everyone, but it is a real charm for those who want to be meticulous and thorough with their skin rituals.
K-beauty uses several unique ingredients. Snail mucin, red ginseng, propolis, centella asiatica, green tea, and cica are incorporated into various skincare products.
There are K-beauty brands with various products that can be found just about anywhere but a few famous ones include:
● Peach and Lily. The brand is known for a glass skin–refining serum full of vitamins, minerals,
and essential fatty acids.
● AMOREPACIFIC. This luxury brand focuses on green tea–enriched ingredients, giving every
product a unique twist.
● Dr. Jart+. Soothing ingredients like cica and ceramides are infused to stop signs of redness and irritation.
● Mediheal. This K-beauty brand is a go-to for sheet masks.
Japan
Often dubbed a pioneer in the “skinimalism” trend, Japanese skincare values minimalism and functionality. Cleansing the skin is seen as essential to fulfill a soft, plump “mochi-skin” appearance.
To do this, a typical J-beauty routine starts with a double cleanse, which involves an oil-based cleanser followed by a foaming cleanser. Then, double moisture—light essence/lotion followed by moisturizer and sunscreen—helps hydrate the skin. Traditional practices fused with modern, state-of-the-art products are valued.
Japanese skincare boasts several novel ingredients, including sake, camellia oil, yuzu, and cherry blossom extract. Japanese skincare has been influenced by Geisha history, manga, kawaii culture, and wabi-sari, a philosophy that finds beauty in imperfection and cherishes a deliberately edited, simple routine.
J-beauty has risen in popularity, and with it comes a plethora of wonderful brands and products:
● Tatcha. Inspired by the culture of beauty and harmony the founder discovered in Kyoto, Japan, Tatcha fuses science with traditional Japanese ingredients and healing concepts, especially various moisturizing techniques.
● Shiseido. As a 150-year-old luxury skincare brand that spans the West and East, they are famed for their anti-aging ULTIMUNE Power-Infusing Concentrate. The serum has won 224 beauty awards and counting!
● SK-II. This J-beauty brand’s proprietary PITERA blend of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and
organic acids aims to maintain “supple, moisturized, and youthful skin.”
● DHC. The brand upholds the Japanese philosophy that science and nature should cooperate
harmoniously, only using natural and non-irritating products. Their signature bestselling Deep Cleansing Oil is made of purified olive oil that dissolves dirt and makeup.
India
We will focus on Ayurveda, which is practiced by a reported 80% of India and Nepal. Over 5,000 years old, many scholars consider it the oldest healing science.
Ayurveda directly translates to the “science of life.” It values holistic wellbeing through attention to a balanced life, thought process, diet, lifestyle, and use of herbs. Ayurveda has been claimed to prevent diseases and health conditions. Ayurveda focuses on lifestyle habits. This means eating and drinking specifically to enhance skin as well as other functions like digestion, bone strength, joint flexibility, and heart health. For example, cooking food in fat called ghee can brighten the skin, strengthen the bones, and lend flexibility to the joints. Several unique ingredients are added to Ayurvedic concoctions, like turmeric, flour, Ashwagandha (plant), moringa, licorice root, and cumin. Ancestral eating, cooking, and drinking habits are vital.
Ayurveda’s plant-based ways have attracted people around the world, and some brands based in India include:
● Forest Essential. As one of the first mainstream Ayurvedic brands, this natural and cruelty-free brand follows the philosophy of “if you can’t eat it, you can’t put it on your face.”
● Ohria Ayurveda. With natural, organic ingredients, the brand boasts the viral kansa face magic
wand.
● Kama Ayurveda. Known for simple but quality products, this color, paraben, and fragrance-free brand sources ingredients from local forest communities, farmers, and artisans.
● Shesha Naturals. All ingredients are organically sourced and go through a 100% natural process in accordance with the ancient Ayurveda scriptures.
China
C-beauty was once disregarded as a cheap alternative to mainstream brands. However, in the past years, it has soared to the forefront. Unlike innocent J- and K-beauty looks, “C-style makeup” boasts a confident, feminist look: sharp eyebrows, royal-red lips, and clear complexion. To achieve this look, jade rollers, gua sha, and facial sculpting tools are used. Additionally, acupuncture and acupressure are used to “detoxify the skin.” Similar to the previously mentioned countries, C-beauty involves many unique ingredients. Green tea, turmeric, herbal blends like he shou wu, rice water, red dates, and goji berries can all be found in an array of C-beauty skincare products. Traditional Chinese medicine has had a large impact on the formulas of these products. More modernly, the rise of male C-pop idols has caused an influx in men’s cosmetics and skincare items.
C-beauty has grown more and more prevalent. Some popular brands and products include:
● 5Yina. The C-beauty brand aims to foster resilient skin. Inspired by the five seasons of traditional Chinese medicine, the brand has five distinct product lines for every skin issue.
● Pechoin. As the most-used makeup and skincare brand of 2018, it promotes the philosophy and balance and harmony using all-natural, effective products.
● Wei Beauty. A brand steeped in traditional Chinese medicine, their Royal Ming Imperial Lotion Moisturizer is a lightweight cream with 18 different herb extracts for hydration and soothing.
● Herbivore Botanicals. Their Orchid Youth Preserving Jasmine and Camellia Facial Oil uses
plant-based ingredients to protect the skin while increasing elasticity.
Singapore
Singaporean skincare has been shaped by the climate of Singapore: a staggering 100% humidity level year-round. Many skin woes can occur as a result, including eczema flare-ups, oily skin, secondary bacterial infections, and gram-negative folliculitis ( pus-filled bumps on the face). Much of Singaporean skincare is centered around ways to combat the various impacts of high humidity on the skin.
Here are some popular skincare brands in Singapore:
● Bskin. Powered by bee-based (apitherapy) actives, this brand restores balance, health, and glow to the skin.
● Allies of Skin. Their range of “clinically supercharged formulations” help balance and improve
problematic skin.
● Bae. This natural, vegan-friendly brand fosters glowy and bouncy skin, targeting oily, acne-prone skin in particular.
● Glowfully. Gentle formulas are used to deal with common skin issues, like dullness, dehydration, open pores, and inflammation. The Glowfully H2O Jelly Masks are ultra-moisturizing, filled with aloe vera, acerola cherry, and carrageenan.
As the biggest continent on Earth, Asia contains far more countries than the five included in this article, but this provides a peek into what skincare in Asia has to offer. Fun, refreshing, and culturally-rooted, people around the world can enjoy the versatility of Asian skincare!
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Image Source: Marie Claire
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