I just got back from South Korea – these are the best K-beauty products I tried

Detailed summary

After getting her skin analysis in Seoul, beauty journalist Hayley Spencer has streamlined her skincare regimen to these expert-recommended formulas

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From Squid Game to BTS ballads, the Korean Wave (Hallyu) has a chokehold on pop culture – and in beauty, innovative formulas and clever packaging have seen South Korea officially overtake the United States to become the world's second-largest beauty and cosmetics exporter, only beaten by France.

Snail mucin and sheet masks might have been a gateway to K-beauty for many, but more and more cosmetics fans are discovering how genuinely effective the formulas are across all categories.

For my part, brands such as Erborian and Cosrx have been in my routine for nearly a decade, but visiting Seoul for several weeks in April to explore the beauty scene opened up a world of brands and formulas to explore.

What was most illuminating about my trip was having a skin analysis (treatments are highly personalised in South Korea), which educated me on my skin type and which ingredients I should (and shouldn’t) use back home for optimal skin health.

Armed with this information, I’ve since been using a stripped-back routine and avoiding anything that could irritate my sensitive skin.

As Korean skincare doctor and pharmacist Dr Christine Hall explains, the ethos of K-beauty is straightforward: “be consistent, protect your skin barrier and don’t assume that stronger ingredients automatically means better.” In short: let the right products do the hard work.

Since I visited Seoul, many of the best products I discovered have now landed in the UK, at Boots, on Amazon or in specialist shops such as Pure Soul or Skin Cupid – so there’s never been a better time to get on board with K-beauty if you haven’t already

Best for ‘glass skin’ effect – Centellian 24 Madeca Cream Time Reverse 50ml: £12.99, Amazon.co.uk

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