Treatment Ampoules To Sleeping Packs - What Exactly Is K-Beauty? (2024)

First, there were cute cushion blushers, then alphabetised BB, CC and even DD creams came along, and now we're obsessed with glass skin, snail slime and everything in between. It's official – K-Beauty has emerged from the depths of Reddit to cement its place in the global beauty lexicon.

What is the K-Beauty trend?

Refreshingly, this isn't yet another Kardashian franchise situation. Essentially a name to categorise the Korean influence upon our own skincare routines and the epic product imports from the country itself, K-Beauty is the secret to looking as luminous as is humanly possible.

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While K-Beauty is no longer a new concept to us, its typically kitschy aesthetic kept it confined to teenage beauty cabinets for a few years. But now, Korean skincare has truly come of age, with the likes of Cult Beauty, Net-A-Porter and Selfridges now offering a selection of sophisticated Korean lines that will appeal to the skintellectual as well as the K-Beauty obsessive.

The Korean 10-Step Beauty Routine

When K-Beauty shot into the mainstream, its fabled 10-step routine left people equally intrigued and exasperated. Traditionally, Korean women favour glowing 'glass' skin over layers of foundation, and a lengthy routine that focuses on clarifying, toning and layers of hydration allows them to achieve optimum luminosity.

To survive in this competitive market, Korean beauty brands have seriously raised their game, offering unrivalled efficacy to meet the savvy consumer’s stringent standards.

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An average K-Beauty night-time skin regime looks a something like this. Of course, there are many of these steps you can skip in the morning, (ditching the make-up remover and dropping the oil cleanser), and equally a few you can treat as a weekly or monthly add-in.

1. Eye make-up remover

Why? The skin around your eyes is thinner and much more delicate, which means an ordinary cleanser cannot be expected to step up to the mark without dragging the skin around.

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TONYMOLY Peach Punch Cleansing Water - £16.50

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Son & Park Beauty Water

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LANEIGE Vitamin Brightening Micellar Cleansing Water

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Dr Althea Ultra Gentle Cleansing Water

2. Double cleanse

Why? Clean = pristine. Your first, oil-based, cleanser (yes, there will be two), is used to dissolve make-up and grime that sits on the surface of your skin, allowing your second cleanse (usually a foam or stick) to tackle pollution and impurities from within the pores.

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Venn Moisture-Balance All-In-One Face Cleanser

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HoliFrog Superior Omega Nutritive Gel Wash - £33

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COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser - £16

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Holika Holika Good Cera Super Ceramide Foaming Wash

3. Exfoliate

Why? Less is more for the Korean woman, so you won't find any hardcore daily exfoliants on the K-Beauty aisles. Some industry experts recommend exfoliating every other day, while others suggest as little as once a month. Twice a week, with a gentle AHA-soaked pad, is a happy medium for most.

4. Tone

Why? To remove any left-over cleansing residue, and prep the skin for the next steps.

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Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner

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Isntree Green Tea Fresh Toner 200ml

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AHC Aqualuronic Toner

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Skin79 Jeju Aloe Aqua Toner - £12.95

5. Treatment essence

Why? This is likely the point where you’ll start scratching your head. However, essence is actually less mythical than it sounds – these watery formulas are simply a lighter version of a serum, used to prep your skin for the products that follow.

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Then I Met You The Giving Essence

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Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence

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Dr. Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution Essence

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Erborian Yuza Double Lotion

6. Treatments

Why? Ok, this one’s easy. Slather on your favourite boosters, serums and ampoules to clarify, brighten, or simply hydrate with concentrated active ingredients. Typically, K-Beauty treatments are highly results-focused, holding up to ingredients-list scrutiny with ease.

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FEMMUE Ideal Intense Serum

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Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence

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Venn Age-Reversing All-In-One Concentrate

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iUNIK Tea Tree Relief Serum

7. Sheet mask

Why? We’re not suggesting you reach for a sheet mask every day, but they are a great weekly treat to help infuse more moisture into your skin, leading to that elusive glass-skin glow.

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TONYMOLY Master Lab Sheet Mask Collagen - £5

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Seoulista Beauty Brightening Instant Facial

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Dr Althea Herb Therapy Velvet Mask

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Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack (10 Pack)

8. Eye cream

Why? See step 1: your eyes need special care and attention stat.

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AHC Hydrating Essential Real Eye Cream for Face

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Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Eye Cream

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Benton Fermentation Eye Cream

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Etude House Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream

9. Sleep Pack/Moisturiser

Why? You've come so far, you may as well finish the job with a seriously hydrating or detoxing overnight pack (that's a face mask you don't wash off to you and me) or day cream. Only this time it'll be supercharged by the eight other products you've already put on your face.

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Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask

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Huxley Good Night Sleep Mask

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Then I Met You Calming Tide Gel Cream

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COSRX Hydrium Green Tea Aqua Soothing Gel Cream - £26

10. And one for the AM...

Why? Of course, the most crucial part of this whole elaborate routine is the SPF. Every. Single. Day. Slather it on to eschew sun damage and all the icky side effects that come with it, obviously.

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Thank You Farmer Sun Project Water Sun Cream SPF50+

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COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50+

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MISSHA All Around Safe Block Waterproof Sun Milk SPF50+

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innisfree Intensive Long Lasting Sunscreen SPF50+

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Treatment Ampoules To Sleeping Packs - What Exactly Is K-Beauty? (2024)

FAQs

What is an ampoule in K-Beauty? ›

An ampoule is a very famous Korean beauty product that's essentially a highly concentrated serum that targets a specific skin concern. They're like little glass vials of magic potion (just without the witches and cauldrons).

What happens if I use an ampoule every day? ›

Because ampoules are so highly concentrated, you don't want to use these treatments on the regular. Save these vials for when your skin needs more of a boost—like, say, if a few late nights leave your complexion looking especially dull.

What is the purpose of the ampoule? ›

Modern ampoules are most commonly used to contain pharmaceuticals and chemicals that must be protected from air and contaminants. They are hermetically sealed by melting the thin top with an open flame, and usually opened by snapping off the neck.

Does ampoule really work? ›

Because of their concentrated formulations, ampoules for skin may provide visible results faster than using a serum alone.

What is ampoule treatment? ›

Skin ampoules are the latest K-beauty product that skincare aficionados are crazy about. An ampoule is an intense, viscous fluid similar to face serums. They are filled with active compounds and are packaged in dripper-style vials.

How many times do I use ampoule? ›

Ampoules have very high concentrations of active ingredients. Therefore, the majority of ampoules are meant to be used once or twice a week at most. As ampoules are becoming more popular, however, some are being designed for daily use. Check the label on your ampoule to see how often you should use it.

What are the disadvantages of ampoules? ›

Glass ampoules (GA) have many advantages but many disadvantages too, like detachment of microscopic glass particules over the drug after the opening, that may cause phlebitis, embolism and other side effects during administration.

Which is better, serum or ampoule? ›

An ampoule is used on occasion whereas a serum can even be used twice a day. Both have the ability to brighten, tighten, hydrate, protect, nourish and repair the skin. However for long lasting and faster results, serums and ampoules can be paired together, depending on the skin concerns,” she explains.

Why are ampoules so expensive? ›

Because ampoules are made up of such an intensive dose of ingredients, they're usually the most expensive part of a routine. Eyes tend to bulge when scanning the price of ampoules, but I guess this is a case of you get what you pay for, for the most part.

When to apply an ampoule on the face? ›

This means they're on the lighter side, and should go into your routine after cleansing, but before moisturizing. This helps the concentrated ingredients get right to work.

What are the advantages of ampoules? ›

Ampoules are best for storing unstable elements as the seal protects the compound from contamination. To make sure that the drug remains stable, drug manufacturers may extract air from the ampoule before inserting the drug.

Is ampoule same as moisturizer? ›

Typically, ampoules are designed to treat particular skin conditions and are not meant to replace a moisturiser, hence it is advised to use a moisturiser after using an ampoule.

What is an ampoule Korean skin care? ›

What is an ampoule? Simply put, skin ampoules are supercharged serums with higher concentrate of active ingredients. Much like a shot of your serum. You can only use them for a finite amount of time. While serums target specific skin concerns, ampoules tackle crisis situations.

Can I use a Korean ampoule every day? ›

As a result, it's effects are almost immediate and some are not intended for everyday use. For example, many ampoules consist of ingredients such as Retinol and Vitamin C, and are advised to only be used a few times a week to prevent irritation.

Can I use an ampoule without serum? ›

An ampoule is a supercharged serum with higher concentrations of active ingredients that you're meant to use for a finite amount of time as a booster or when you're having a skin crisis of some sort. Chang recommends using them before your essence or serum. Ampoules usually come in smaller bottles with droppers.

Is an ampoule better than serum? ›

“An ampoule is used on occasion whereas a serum can even be used twice a day. Both have the ability to brighten, tighten, hydrate, protect, nourish and repair the skin. However for long lasting and faster results, serums and ampoules can be paired together, depending on the skin concerns,” she explains.

How do you use ampoules? ›

Position the dispenser on the ampoule, up to the line and take 2-3 drops on your palm and massage it well all over the face. To store the ampoule, place the lid on the dispenser and use it within two days to reap maximum benefits before the Vitamin C oxidises and loses its efficacy.

What is the difference between a capsule and an ampoule? ›

Capsules are usually made from biodegradable packaging, which is twisted to open and squeeze out the product, while ampoules are typically made from recyclable glass and dispense formulas through a mess-free dropper system.

References

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