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Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
In your 60s and want a skin analysis and facial in Seoul, not procedures?
A traveller in their 60s posted on the Tripadvisor Seoul forum. They'd be in Seoul for a few days and felt overwhelmed: most clinics they found seemed built around fairly invasive procedures. What they wanted was a skin
0 1Olive Young Myeong-dong Flagship
This Olive Young store is clearly different from the usual branch in terms of size. It features 14 concept zones where visitors can try things out and enjoy the experience. Representative zones include the perfume bar, b
0 0Benzoyl peroxide and benzene: what the follow-up actually showed
Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) has been an acne staple for decades, so the "it forms benzene" headlines worried a lot of people. Here is what the US FDA testing and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) guidance say. What th
0 0Dark spot ingredient poll: vitamin C, niacinamide, tranexamic acid… what's your pick?
Trends in brightening ingredients move fast. First it was vitamin C, then niacinamide, and lately tranexamic acid gets a lot of airtime. What communities often compare Vitamin C: well studied, but people talk a lot about
Poll
For dark spots and tone, which ingredient do you trust most right now?
Pick one to see the results
0 0Which pores bother you most? Different zones, different worries
"Pore concerns" covers a lot. People often point out that pores look and behave differently depending on where they are, so the approach changes too. What comes up by zone Nose: dark dots, grey dots, the pore-strip debat
Poll
Which pores bother you most?
Pick one to see the results
0 0Skincare trends estheticians would happily retire
Estheticians on r/Esthetics were asked which skincare trend they'd happily see disappear. The original poster opened with 20-step routines promoted by unqualified influencers, noting that clients often arrive having over
0 0Sonic cleansing devices and silicone brushes: OK to use every day?
Sonic cleansers, silicone brushes and pore brushes come up in every pore-care discussion. Many people find them more thorough than hands, but opinions split on how often. The daily users say Their oily skin never feels c
0 0Cold water closes pores? Four pore myths, cleared up
Pores attract more old wives' tales than almost any other skin topic. Here are the ones dermatologists correct most often. 1. "Steam opens them, cold water shuts them" Pores have no muscles to open and close like doors.
0 0Cold wind and the corners of your mouth crack: how do you deal with it?
When the air turns dry, posts about cracked, white corners of the mouth that sting every time you open wide start popping up. Many people care for their lips but forget the corners. Causes people often mention Licking yo
0 0Tried a "skin diet"? Cutting your routine: better or worse?
The skin diet, or minimal routine, keeps coming back as a topic: instead of ten steps, just cleanse, moisturise and sunscreen. Community reactions are pretty split. "It got better" stories Irritation from layering overla
0 0Acids in your pads, toner and serum: are you over-exfoliating?
These days AHA, BHA, PHA, retinol, enzymes and scrubs turn up in almost everything. Each might look gentle alone, but the common view on forums is that stacking them in one routine is a different story. Quick self-check:
0 0Should you pause retinol in summer? Communities are split
Every time the weather heats up, the same question appears: "Do I need to stop retinol for summer?" The "take a break" camp Retinoids are known to make skin more sensitive to sunlight With more outdoor time and vacations
0 0Heating on, face tight? Check your room before your routine
From late October, once the heating goes on, posts saying "I switched creams and I'm still dry" pile up. The common advice is to look at your environment before buying another product. Environment checks people mention H
0 0Niacinamide and vitamin C can't be used together? Untangling an old myth
You've probably heard that "niacinamide and vitamin C cancel each other out." It's a long-running skincare myth, but the mood has shifted quite a bit. Where the myth came from A common explanation is that older research
0 0Aftercare following laser toning: what do people actually do?
Laser toning comes up a lot in Korea for dark spots and melasma, and visitors are curious too. But the question communities ask most isn't about the procedure. It's "What should I do afterward?" Commonly shared basics Fo
0 0What does '기능성화장품' (functional cosmetics) on a Korean skincare box mean?
Shop for skincare in Korea and you'll often see 기능성화장품 on the box. It means 'functional cosmetics'. In short It's a Korean regulatory category for cosmetics that make specific efficacy claims The best-known ones are brig
0 0Brown, acne-prone skin and a peel in Seoul: what did travellers suggest?
A traveller with brown, acne-prone skin asked on the Tripadvisor Seoul forum: they'd be in Seoul in spring and wanted a face peel. Could anyone point to a reliable clinic? What the replies said The most useful answer sug
0 15 beginner mistakes with Korean skincare (and how to avoid them)
People starting K-beauty tend to get excited, and that's normal. But skincare forums keep showing the same first-month stumbles: Buying the whole routine at once. If something irritates, you won't know what. Better one n
0 0Panthenol and madecassoside: the quiet workhorses in K-beauty "repair" creams
Look at the back of many Korean "repair," "cica" or "barrier" creams and two names show up again and again: panthenol and madecassoside. They're less flashy than PDRN, but they're everywhere for a reason. Panthenol (pro-
0 0Olive Young N Seongsu's scalp check: 9 in 10 users are foreigners
Are people coming to Korea to look after their scalp, not just their skin? One number stood out in a report on the Seongsu shopping district this year. At Olive Young N Seongsu, about 90% of people using the scalp consul
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