K-Beauty Skincare Shopping Finds in Koreatown, Los Angeles!
What is K-Beauty?
“K-Beauty” is short for Korean Beauty and deserves its own category in the beauty and skincare industry. Korea is well known for its innovative beauty products and in-depth skincare routines.
They are also known for their beautiful, glass, baby faced skin. It might be partly due to genetics, but their dedication and knowledge of skincare and wellness may also have something to do with it!
To Korean’s, their 10-step skincare routine is as normal as brushing their teeth. Korean’s 10-step skincare routine includes:
Oil cleanser
Water-based foam cleanser
Exfoliator (1-2x per week depending)
Toner
Essence for skin regeneration
Serum
Sheet mask
Eye cream
Sleeping mask
SPF
And they do this every day. Usually, they are taught how to do a 10 step skincare routine when they learn how to brush their teeth. So, Koreans definitely know a thing or 2 about skincare, and their skin shows it!
I decided to hit up Koreatown in Los Angeles to go straight to the skincare source. It was sooo worth it.
The places I went skincare shopping in Koreatown are Palace Beauty, The Face Shop and Nature Republic. If you love skincare and beauty, shopping in Koreatown LA is definitely a thing to do.
At the very bottom of this post are posted the skincare products I picked.
Aisles and aisles of sheet masks. At Palace Beauty, Koreatown, Los Angeles. (Inside the Galleria Mall)
There were sooo many different types of sheet masks, including shea butter sheet masks, bamboo sheet masks, egg white sheet masks, collagen sheet masks, green tea sheet masks and other types of tea sheet masks, stem cell sheet masks, and soo many more. The price was $2 per sheet mask.
The sale of skincare products outside of Palace Beauty in the Galleria Mall.
Snail cream with SPF 50 sunscreen with a tint. In the sale items outside of Palace Beauty!
What is snail slime used for in skincare?
The slime left by snails contain ingredients such as glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, and glycolic acid. These ingredients in the form of snail slime are said to penetrate the skin very well.
Concealer cushions with sunscreen are popular in Koreatown. At The Face Shop.
A concealer cushion with SPF in a compact. At The Face Shop.
Chia Seed used in a toner and lotion. At Palace Beauty, Koreatown, Los Angeles.
These facial and body massage rollers deliver gentle microcurrents to the skin for blood flow, toning, and anti-aging. The lady who helped me at Palace Beauty was nice enough to let me one. I did feel my facial muscles activated and slightly shocked. The larger rollers fit around your jawline, arms and legs! The smaller rollers fit around the under-eye area. This same product and brand is actually sold at Sephora.
THE PRODUCTS I PICKED! <3 <3 <3
WINE EXFOLIATING PADS!
This is the first time I’ve seen wine and exfoliation together in one product. You use these exfoliating wine pads 1-2x per week after cleansing. These pads are great for gentle exfoliation and antiaging. Wine is known for the antiaging ingredient resveratrol.
Read my post Raiding Products in the Pharmacy in France and scroll to Caudalie products to learn more about the antiaging ingredient resveratrol.
Found it on Amazon!
2. OIL AMPOULE MIST WITH CAMELLIA OIL!
I was inspired to look for ampoule products in Koreatown after I watched a few of Korean beauty guru’s UNA BEAUTY CLOUD’s Youtube videos. Ampoule products are stronger and more concentrated than serums. Since this mist contains camellia oil in ampoule form, this means the camellia oil is more concentrated than a mist containing camellia oil that isn’t in ampoule form. Ampoules are used as intensive treatments, as needed, or 1-2 times a week.
UNA BEAUTY CLOUD mixes ampoule products with aloe vera and applies it to a cut sheet of unwoven cotton as an intensive hydrating eye mask, so I needed to do this, too.
P.S. -She’s 40.
Read my post “Laura Dern of ‘Big Little Lies’ Shares Her Beauty Truths!” to learn more about the benefits of camellia oil!
3. PEPTIDE SHOT (AMPOULE)!
Since these are peptides in an ampoule, this means the peptides are more concentrated than a regular peptide serum. After I used this serum just one night, I noticed my complexion looked brighter and healthier the next morning compared to an expensive serum I just bought from my dermatologist!
Found it on Amazon!
4. SNAIL GALAC PERAL SHINING B.B. WHITENING AND ANTI-WRINKLE WITH SPF 50/PA+++ IN NO. 21!
This product was sitting outside of Palace Beauty on their SALE table full of products. I had to get this. I have never used snail in skincare before, and the slime of snail has natural hyaluronic acid, antioxidant activities, glycolic acid and glycoproteins. I also love how tinted sunscreen (with a high SPF!) is mixed with snail.
I already tried it, and I’m actually wearing it right now, and I love it. I’m so happy I got this. The formula has a consistency of a whipped foundation and it leaves my skin with a glassy look. If I choose to wear this during the day, I still wear my usual sunscreen underneath.
Snail Galac Pearl Shining B.B. Whitening and Anti-Wrinkle with SPF 50/ PA+++ in No. 21.
Found it on Amazon!
5. KOREAN SHEET MASKS!
I chose a snail mask, ginseng mask, a Pearl Hydrating Essence Mask, and a soothing Cucumber mask.
I was on the look out for ginseng since UNA BEAUTY CLOUD mentions ginseng and an important antiaging ingredient in Korea. She also buys fresh ginseng and mixes it with honey in a jar, and then adds it to hot teas.
Since ginseng is a popular skincare ingredient in Korea, I needed to get a ginseng sheet mask while in Koreatown, and of course, a snail mask, too.
—Off to try out new skincare!
If you liked this post, check out “Noninvasive Face Lifting Treatment from South Korea” and “An Easy Way to Reapply Sunscreen Over Makeup”!
XX,
LAURA
INSTA: @oohlalastone
