Korean Skin Care Adventure
My Experience with Skincare in Korea
Thank-you J for the midnight Seoul experience!
I'd only really heard about Korean skincare for the last year, however, I was hooked; the 10-step routines, the glass-skin obsession. In February, I finally went to see for myself.
Finding a reliable skincare clinic in Seoul is a shot in the dark; there are hundreds, and Google reviews only get you so far. Luckily, I'd been introduced to J, a friend who lives in Seoul and runs the skincare Instagram instagram.com. She's the real deal; very knowledgeable and experienced and knows about clinics and products.
She's also, as I discovered over dinner, hilarious. Like could-do-stand-up hilarious. Between skincare tips and restaurant recommendations, I laughed until my face hurt. (Good prep for the procedure, as it turned out.)
Join Me Weekly in the Slow Lane
J guided me through the clinic visit, then through the maze of retail: skincare stores on every corner, open until 2 a.m.
At the clinic, I tried Volnewmer: the latest in non-invasive skin tightening. It's a radiofrequency treatment designed to promote collagen production and skin renewal.
The clinic itself was sleek and modern, all clean lines and calm lighting. What surprised me: the reception staff spoke Japanese. (Guess where most of the clientele flies in from.) I practiced my patchy Japanese with them while waiting, an unexpected bonus.
The procedure itself? Let's just say "painless" was a generous description. It felt like a hot ultrasound wand moving across my face, and I white-knuckled the armrest more than once. I guess it’s different for different people, but I learned to not resist the pain, but to let go and move through it (much easier).
The verdict? Four weeks later (the point when results supposedly kick in), I think my skin looks a little better, more hydrated, smoother. But a dramatic difference? Not quite. Would I do it again? I'll report back.
And then there are the products. Thousands of them. Cleansers, serums, moisturizers, under-eye patches, sheet masks, foot masks, sunscreens in every formula imaginable. I shopped until I dropped and came home with a haul I didn't fully know how to use.
I'm working through them slowly. The biggest lesson so far? Sunscreen is the non-negotiable—SPF 50 minimum. Prevention over correction, as they say. With outdoor pickleball season around the corner, consider this your reminder to stock up. I’ll have other recommendations as I go through my collection.