These days, beauty bloggers all around the world praise the 10-step skin-care regimen originating in South Korea. The steps are the following: oil cleanser, foam cleanser, exfoliator, toner, essence, serum or ampoule, sheet mask, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen as a finish. Some versions of skin care routines leave out or add certain steps, usually ranging from five to 12 steps. Followers of one of those regimens often switch up products in between. Users often praise the practice for improving the skin, as well as having a therapeutic effect.
South Korean consumers prefer using skin care products by South Korean companies to products of other origin. This is partly because of the high availability compared to other brands, but also because many believe the products are more suited to their skin, are of better quality, and are more effective. In South Korea, shopping areas have a high number of cosmetic chain shops, often targeting younger consumers. Nevertheless, due to the trend towards online shopping those so-called road shops are currently facing troubles.
Nowadays, Korean beauty brands are not only aiming to sell to women. While women get a higher pressure to look good, beauty standards are increasingly affecting men as well. Since the “pretty boy”-look has been popularized by the Korean entertainment industry, more and more men are taking care of their skin. While South Korean men are often concerned about acne and pimples, some men wear light make-up to cover up their flaws and create a soft skin look. A survey found that more than 76 percent of men aged between 20 and 39 years old used products such as foam cleansers and lotion.
