Tatler Takes Five

The skincare guru and founder of Soko Glam is one of the most influential Korean beauty entrepreneurs globally. She tells us about five things she loves this new year

1 JEONG Jeong is the Korean word for a deep, emotional connection with the people and things that matter most. I’m using the concept of jeong to guide and help me focus on the things that are meaningful. I believe in the power of cultivating jeong, so much so that I made it the foundation of my skincare line Then I Met You, and I am writing my second book on this concept and how it has shaped my professional and personal life.

2 ANTI-POLLUTION SKINCARE Gentle, skin-soothing ingredients that help your skin barrier—like ceramides, madecassoside and centella asiatica extract—are the trend of now and the near future. Coating and protecting yourself from pollution preserves your skin barrier and can help prevent acne, premature ageing and sensitivity.

3 MICROFIBER HAIR TURBANS BY AQUIS I have long, black hair and I’ve always struggled with it being frizzy and such a chore to dry. Using a microfibre towel has made such a difference to the smoothness and health of my hair, and saves me at least 5 to 10min every day.

4 DEEP SLEEP I underestimated the importance of deep sleep in my 20s, so now I drink caffeine-free ginger tea and have lavender eye masks on hand as well as blackout curtains in my room. I try not to use my phone at least 30min prior to going to sleep to enable the deepest sleep.

5 THEN I MET YOU SKIN BALANCING DUO

After four years of hormonal acne, I’m finally acne-free. The game changer for me is using a gentle one per cent AHA and PHA formulation—birch Milk Refining Toner—to help buff out fine lines and maintain my pores, and then using a deep hydrating essence—the Giving Essence—to lock in the moisture and keep my skin barrier healthy and supple.