New skincare trends are emerging out of South Korea, ready to take on the world, and here's what you need to know about them
Korean beauty (K-beauty) and its practices, one of the biggest manifestations of the hallyu (Korean wave), has cemented itself as a major pillar in the global beauty lexicon.
From the dewy ‘glass skin’ trend to the much-talked-about 10-step beauty routine involving sleeping packs and ampoules, and even right down to the alphabetised BB and CC creams, K-beauty has dominated conversations and headlines for years now. This is, of course, owing to its cleverly handpicked top-of-the-moment Korean celebrity ambassadors, plenty of airtime in Korean dramas, minimalistic and/or cute packaging, tried and true formula, and its appeal to K-culture fans just about anywhere in the world.
Read more: Netflix Reveals 13 Original Korean Shows For 2021
As the K-beauty fad continues to be a major driving force behind the proliferation of K-culture, let’s take a look at some K-beauty trends that are expected to be all the rage in 2021.
1. Carrot seed oil
While this is still relatively unknown in rest of the world, carrot seed oil has actually been used in K-beauty for more than a decade. A type of essential oil extracted via steam distillation from the seed of the wild carrot plant (Daucus carota plant), it contains vitamin A which helps speed up healing, prevents breakouts, hydrates the skin, and give it a radiant glow.
#พรีออเดอร์
— PRE - COSME_KR ???? (@thecosmeticskr) June 24, 2019
?#Naturekind Carrot Seed Oil 30ml
น้ำมันจากเมล็ดแครอท อุดมไปด้วยวิตามิน ทาได้ทั้งผิวหน้า ผิวกาย และผม ช่วยบำรุงความชุ่มชื้น ใช้ได้ทุกสภาพผิว
✨ราคา 650.-#พรีออเดอร์เกาหลี #พรีเกาหลี #เครื่องสําอางเกาหลี pic.twitter.com/HtsbKipMVE
Carrot seed oil's 'salad of goodness’ makes for an ideal ingredient in skincare as it’s antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, and antifungal. Brands that carry this include Naturekind and Aprilskin.
See also: Sulwhasoo, Chanel, Sothys And More: 10 Beauty Launches For Flawless Skin In March 2021
2. Clean beauty
Clean beauty is now more than just a movement, it’s here to stay. As a nod to consumers’ growing demand for the transparency and safety of cosmeceuticals beauty brands worldwide are putting more thought and conscious effort into developing products—and K-beauty is no different, as explained by K-beauty e-retailer Soko Glam co-founder Charlotte Cho.
