https://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/

Six natural Korean beauty brands you should know about

Korean skincare is going au naturel and so should you.

While women in Seoul have long favoured Asian herbs and botanicals, they’re now looking for products that also incorporate a clean, minimalist approach. If jazz is about the notes you don’t play, then this latest Korean beauty trend is about the ingredients you don’t use.

For those of you who love those bubbling, frothing sheet masks and innovative new textures for which Korean skincare is famous—don’t worry. It’s still all there but the new focus is about stripping back any nasty ingredients so that you can 10-step without worrying. As some of the most fastidious consumers in the world, Korean women are looking deeper into beauty ingredients lists and shifting away from parabens, fragrances and artificial preservatives. Equipping them with the know-how is top Korean beauty app, ‘Hwahae’, which meticulously audits the safety of every K-beauty product. The move towards safe, minimal ingredients has seen a surge in the popularity of smaller, new generation K-beauty brands.

These boutique cosmetic companies are actively listening to consumers who are demanding products that are completely safe, eco-friendly and won’t sensitise their skin. Above all, because these brands have deeper ingredient expertise, the products are super effective and look at the long-term health of your skin rather than just short-term gains. So, if you’re looking to clean up your top shelf K-beauty-style, here are six brands to get you started.

Whamisa
The brand’s name is derived from the Chinese characters for flower and beauty. True to their name, Whamisa expertly uses botanical ingredients to create gentle yet effective skincare products. While many brands these days tout luxurious botanicals, Whamisa has a unique fermentation method that heightens the ingredients’ potency and allows your skin to better absorb all the goodness. Their Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner is packed full of fermented antioxidants along with soothing ingredients like avocado oil to keep skin supple on harsh winter days.