With Korean beauty products, there are five easy ways to really create a new you in the new year:
1. Make Time For Beauty
The infamous 10-step Korean beauty routine can sound like a bit of a time suck, especially if you don't start to see immediate results. But the idea isn't just to achieve glowing skin. It's also designed to be a relaxing, indulgent start and end to your day; a way to remember that investing in yourself is one of the best investments you can make.
2. Hydrate
This is one of the first areas where Korea was ahead of the game on beauty. By now everyone knows that hydration is good for the skin, but there are still two major mistakes that people make when it comes to H20. First, many people with oily or combination skin believe that they don't need to hydrate. Not the case! You just need to hydrate in different ways. Check out foaming cleansers and water-based serums and essences to make sure your skin keeps in essential oils without getting greasy. Second, make sure you're hydrating in other ways, too: January is a great time to get into the habit of drinking more water all day long.
3. Mask Up
Mask sheets have long been a staple of Korean beauty, but this is the year they're going to blow up in the rest of the world. Stock up on your favorites for all types of skin treatments, from minimizing pores to reducing redness to giving you an extra glow, and try some of the new ones that will inevitably come out as these revitalizing products become more and more popular.
4. Protect Your Skin From The Sun
Koreans are notorious for protecting their skin from the sun at all costs - it's common to see people using umbrellas, visors, giant sunglasses, and even newspapers to shield themselves on especially bright days. The results are clear. Everyone loves a little sun kissed glow, but there's no better way to prevent wrinkles, discoloration, and skin diseases than avoiding the sun. Most Korean moisturizers and BB and CC creams have a high SPF factor as well. Make sure yours does this year, and wear those or sunscreen every single day, even when you think it's too blustery or grey to get any color.
5. Don't Compromise When You Travel
No one understands the pressure of travel better than a K-pop star, and yet they're always looking great. The demands of travel can wreak havoc on your skin and your daily routine, but it doesn't have to be that way. If you buy Korean beauty products a lot, you probably have a lot of sample sizes of everything from shampoo to moisturizer that you get for free with purchase. Stick those in your travel bag and make sure that you write in at least a little time for taking care of your skin into your travel itinerary.
