Is K-Beauty as great as people say it is?

If trends noticed at this past weekend’s Beauty Revolution Festival are anything to go by, the beauty secrets of Korean women are set to take over the global beauty industry at an exponential rate.

The shift did not happen overnight as brands and vloggers the world over have gradually been experimenting with K-Beauty for a while now, but the subsequent uptake in the knowledge offered under this category has happened at neck-breaking speeds.

The latest brand to try get a piece of the K-Beauty pie is Pond’s, who showcased the latest addition to their ever-expanding range of products.

“In the pursuit to consistently revolutionise its product offering, keep up with global trends, and listen to the needs of its consumers, Pond’s South Africa and the Pond’s Institute has announced the launch of its first-ever Korean Beauty product in the form of sheet masks,” said the brand in a statement.

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One question remains unanswered, however, is K-Beauty as great as people say it is?

According to K-Beauty South Africa, K-Beauty generally advocates for double cleansing as well as the use of products such as sheet masks, modelling masks, essences, serums, and ampoules amongst others in addition to a 7 – 10 step routine for cleansing one’s face.

Another local K-Beauty retailer, Glow Theory, attributes the widespread uptake in K-Beauty to the fact that Koreans spend more on cosmetics than any other population in the world. As a result, they have what is considered some of the best skin in the world and their demand for excellent beauty products has created an environment that has lead to some of the best innovation in beauty and skincare.

Glow Theory explained on their website: “While the average Korean woman is not obsessed with finding the perfect all-in-one product, they are insistent on excellent quality, innovative formulations, and having a diverse group of cosmetics to choose from. This demand has resulted in K-beauty being a decade ahead of the global beauty industry.”

Products such as sheet masks, BB creams, essences, and bubble masks all originated in Korea as a result of the aforementioned innovation.

Devashni Ganess, Pond’s junior brand manager, said: “Inspired by some of the world’s leading beauty trends, the Pond’s Institute in Korea has worked tirelessly to perfect the combination of ingredients within each sheet mask to ensure that it effectively addresses the skin care needs of South African women, leaving them feeling and looking their best at all times.”

The brand’s new masks contain ingredients such as niacinamide, vitamin E, sea daffodil – which minimise pores to boost skin’s glow and luminosity, as well as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and brown algae extract – which plumps and rejuvenates skin, lessening the appearance of loss of elasticity.

Pond’s also created a green retinol, hyaluronic acid, and avocado extract mask which exfoliates and hydrates skin, revealing smoother glowing skin.

Siphiwo Hlenga of Unilever’s research and development unit advises adding the practice of #POWERMASKING to your routine as a way to make self-care and self-love part of your list of weekly non-negotiables.

“By introducing these masks into your existing skincare regimen 1-2 times per week, you will experience the secret to ultimate hydration, giving you firmer, brighter, and revitalised skin in the comfort of your own home. Put the power of masking in your hands.”

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