Travelling South Korea, beauty capital of the world
Illuminated by neon and filled with the electric sounds of K-pop is Cosme Road, a frenetic labyrinth of cosmetic shops in the Seoul shopping district of Myeongdong. Here, throngs of shoppers shuffle from one store to the next, lured in by sales associates offering complimentary sheet masks and billboards of products that promise a complexion as dewy and youthful as those of the models advertising them.
The crowds of tourists are all here for one reason: to immerse themselves in the world of Korean beauty.
Recently, a growing interest in kimchi and K-dramas worldwide has thrust South Korea into the global spotlight. But it’s the country’s booming cosmetic market and unconventional skin care routines that have transformed it into the beauty capital of the world, making it a must-visit destination for makeup junkies and beauty enthusiasts.
Fewer places are more appropriate to begin a trip to Korea than a jjimjilbang like Aquafield Jjimjil Spa. These gender-segregated bathhouses are furnished with an array of amenities ranging from hot tubs fed by mineral springs to saunas and aroma therapy rooms that are sure to cure any case of jet lag. Spa-goers feeling particularly adventurous can opt to experience a Korean scrub, or seshin, in which the entire body is rigorously exfoliated to reveal baby soft (albeit pink) skin.
There’s no shortage of shopping opportunities in Seoul, and Dongdaemun is perhaps one of the best places to pick up K-beauty cult favourites like donkey milk cream and snail mucin serum. The neighbourhood’s towering department stores boast entire floors dedicated to Korean cosmetic brands like Etude House and Innisfree. The best part? The shops are generally open until the late hours of the night, meaning shopaholics can feed their addiction at any time of the day.
Tourists can also learn how to use the products to achieve the latest K-beauty looks. Cosmetic brand eSpoir provides makeup classes that vary in theme from month to month, while the celeb-frequented salon Jenny House offers hairstyling lessons.
Of course, no trip to Seoul is complete without a visit to Gangnam. The ritzy neighbourhood is home to some 500 plastic surgery clinics that offer services such as rhinoplasty and breast augmentation surgeries as well as affordable laser treatments and medical facials.
Should visitors prefer a more natural route to beauty, the Kwangdong Hospital of Traditional Korean Medicine makes use of age-old practices to enhance one’s aesthetic. Facial rejuvenation acupuncture, for example, helps to boost collagen production and detox treatments work to clear and energize the skin.
These traditional treatments are only enhanced with a cup of tea and a foot bath at Tea Therapy. Serving up beverages developed by a traditional medicine practitioner using a variety of herbs, the tea shop promotes the idea that outward beauty is the result of a stressfree mind and body.
While Korea is a tourist-friendly country, packages like the Seoul Beauty Tour and Wondrous Korea K-Beauty Tour make it even easier for visitors to get the most out of their trip to the peninsula. Both tours include K-beauty makeovers, skin care services and plenty of cultural experiences that won’t soon be forgotten.
Visitors can receive a LLang Red Ginseng Pure Healing Hair Shampoo Set (x1 set per booking) when you book K-beauty packages with select travel partners.