As the world of K-beauty is wide and wonderful, it took some time for K-beauty experts to decide on the best k-beauty products of 2020. Here are the top K-beauty products to include in your 2021 skincare routine as compiled by K-beauty authority Jude Chao of Fifty Shades of Snail, and the biggest K-beauty online retailer in the US, Soko Glam.
COSRX Advanced Snail Cleanser, Dual Essence, and Sheet Masks
K-beauty has brought us some weird but effective skincare ingredients, and snail mucin or slime is one of them. Snail mucin covers a lot of skincare concerns, including dryness and acne. Apart from their smash hits, Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence and Advanced Snail 92 All In One Cream, COSRX introduced three new additions to their snail skincare line - a cleanser, a dual essence and a sheet mask. Chao is a loyal user of their first two products and suffices it to say that the new ones did not disappoint. She shares that the cleanser is pH balanced (6.5), the sheet mask is great for eczema, and she's on her second bottle of the dual essence.
Then I Met You Cleansing Balm
This balm cleanser won an Allure Best of Beauty award and Byrdie Skincare Award, so it's clearly well received in the US. Double cleansing is perhaps the biggest skin care practice that the Koreans have taught us, and this is one of the best first cleansers out there. Apply on dry skin and massage gently all over the face to dislodge dirt, oil, and makeup. Rinse with warm water, and don't forget to do a second cleanse with your favorite facial cleanser. Speaking of cleansing balms, Byrdie also loves the Banila Co. Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm in Purifying.
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Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence
K-beauty is very much into fermented ingredients, and their skincare is highly focused on hydration and brightening. Neogen's Real Ferment Micro Essence combines all those in one bottle with fermented birch juice and rice extracts. An essence functions like a serum, so it goes after cleansing and toning and before a moisturizer. You can still use a serum after it, but many k-beauty fans say that one of them will do. This essence falls under the Soko Glam Clean Beauty umbrella.
Good (Skin) Days C's The Day Serum
Vitamin C serums are all the rage everywhere and have become a staple in many people's daily routines. This non-sticky serum is exclusively available on Soko Glam and is the top-selling serum of 2020. It's formulated with 10% pure vitamin C, licorice root extracts, ginseng, mushroom, niacinamide, and camu, which the brand says is a fruit that has "40 times more vitamin C than oranges."
MEDIHEAL Tea Tree Essential Blemish Control Sheet Mask
Tea tree oil is a well-known acne fighter. This mask is combined with willow bark, a natural exfoliant, purifying rosemary, calming chamomile, and Asiatic pennyworth to reduce redness. This is also included in Soko Glam's Clean Beauty selections, so you're guaranteed that it's free from toxic ingredients.
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