Korean skincare has been rising in popularity as several brands spread their branches in local malls as well as online, having a variety of products to suit every need.
The Face Shop
After my first experience with the Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam, I knew I found my go-to daily cleanser. It has a soft fragrance and a pearly, creamy texture, which can create dense foam with only a small dollop. As it cleanses skin without irritation, it moisturizes and brightens up overall complexion. People with sensitive or dry skin will find it very helpful for their skin type.
Another worthy Face Shop product would be the Chia Seed Water 100 Mist Toner. The facial mist can be used as a toner, a makeup setting spray or simply a facial mist that can be applied throughout the day. It creates a soothing effect that reduces redness while providing a long-lasting moisturization. Notably, it has a fine spray that creates microscopic, easily-absorbed droplets while dispensing the perfect amount.
Nature Republic
People often consider this store an alternative to The Face Shop, but since it has too many collections to choose from, I can never find a useful product. The Phyto Origin Mild Emulsionis is praised as a quality moisturizer for sensitive skin. Yet this mediocre product worked but did not bring any positive changes to my skin. Other Nature Republic products follow the same pattern—face masks, cleansers and facial cream could be easily substituted by other brands. The only thing that I would continually purchase is their travel-size hand sanitizer, which comes in a variety of fresh scents.
Memebox.com
Memebox is an online shopping center with Korean cosmetic brands at a discounted price. Because its headquarter is in San Francisco, the shipping process takes around a week.
The Elizavecca Milky Piggy Carbonated Face Mask is one of the most popular items. After reading plenty of positive reviews on this product, I also decided to give it a try. Surprisingly, its carbonating process, which gives the skin an enjoyable ticklish sensation and results in a fun mask of gray bubbles, was quite pleasant. However, it was hard for me to wash it off even within the suggested time. I nearly started scrubbing my face because I couldn’t thoroughly clean up residues of charcoal powder. In the end, I did not feel any of the miraculous effects that YouTubers previously suggested, other than a burning skin irritation.