BEAUTY COUNTER Korea advice A

FTER decades of revering French women and their no-nonsense, pharmacybacked approach to looking good, a few years ago, a new international skincare idol emerged.

Korean ladies reportedly spend an hour each morning and night on an elaborate 12-step process that results in skin so dewy and perfect, they eschew foundation altogether.

While we collectively agree that we value sleep more than skin, and wouldn’t be sacrificing any shut-eye in the name of a few wrinkles, the popularity of ‘K Beauty’ products has continued to rise, so much so that at the end of July, Superdrug will be launching a range of five new ‘SoKo’ (South Korean) brands.

“Korean beauty is a huge trend in the industry, with some of the most innovative and Instagrammable products and ingredients on the market,” says Simon Comins, Superdrug commercial director.

“In addition to the products the big brands are launching, we also wanted to be able to offer our customers authentic Korean beauty brands, which is why we are introducing Scinic, Soo’Ae, SNP, Dewytree and JinJu to the UK market.”

But is it possible to incorporate the Korean method in your daily routine in less than 12 steps? Here, the experts explain what it’s all about and how to do K Beauty the easy way... “KOREAN women see their skin as a whole. They treat it with great respect and prefer milder solutions and repetition, rather than harsh and aggressive treatments,” explains Katalin Berenyi, co-founder of Erborian.

“Instead of seeking the efficiency through only a few products, as we do in Western countries, Korean women are seeking the efficiency through a sophisticated process of 10 to 15 products, used one after the other in a savvy order and timing.”

“The steps may vary from as little as six to as many as 14,” says Allan Lever, founder of MasqueBar.

“Korean skincare is ‘cultural’ – it’s a way of life. Before face masks, Korean mothers taught their children to use natural ingredients as a basis of ‘masking’ – using ingredients with benefits for specific skin needs. Most Korean women now have a busy life and do not do the full routine every day, but instead pick and choose their products of choice.” “THE main objective in Korea is to have an absolutely pure and purified skin. For this reason, all Korean women use at least two, sometimes three different steps to perfectly cleanse their skin, with different textures,” Katalin explains

An oil-based cleanser followed by a foaming one is common, followed by “lotion or lotions, at least one essence and can go up to three.”

‘Lotion’ doesn’t mean a cream, but a liquid that acts as a toner, while ‘essence’ is what we would call a serum and is packed with actives.

“(After cleansing) exfoliator is next, although is sometimes skipped and may not happen every night,” Lever says. “Toner and serum are next – leading to a face mask. The face mask may be a sheet mask or alternatively a cream, mud or peel-off mask.”

Eyes are a big focus in K Beauty, according to Lever: “Either an eye cream or easy-to-use under-eye hydrogel patches.

“The last step is the sleeping mask, which absorbs into the skin and does not get on pillows or sheets.

“Throw in the use of an essence and you will have that glow, or ‘honey skin’ as known In SoKo.”

SUMMER skincare is a delicate balancing act – you want to stay hydrated and protected from the sun without tipping over from dewy to shiny.

Our new discovery for tricky sticky days is

£7.99, is a moisturising sunblock that sinks in instantly. And for days when the sun’s shining but you don’t want your complexion to follow suit, stash the dinky

IF a sunkissed glow just won’t cut it for you when it comes to fake tan and you want the full fortnight in the Caribbean effect, you are in luck because a host of darker formulas have hit the market.

The guide colour of £34 (Boots) is scary on the mitt but don’t panic, it’s fine when it’s rubbed in and the result looks natural and not a bit orange.

£14 (Superdrug), meanwhile comes in several fragrances, including watermelon and baby powder although you might need two coats for the true ‘just back from hols’ effect.