K-beauty has quickly evolved over the years, swiftly taking over the beauty industry – and for a good reason.
Korean skincare products are often made with natural, gentle ingredients that are also effective, such as green tea, centella asiatica, and bamboo extract to name a few. However, there are so many products to choose from, which can feel overwhelming at times.
To help us navigate the K-beauty realm, we’ve rounded up 12 K-beauty Instagram accounts for all things Korean skincare. Plus, we’ll be sharing some of their top beauty tips! And here’s a bonus: many of them run their own YouTube channels as well, so you’ll be entertained and educated all at once.
Soo (@_soobeauty)
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Raised in America and currently living in Seoul, Soo is a beauty YouTuber who provides informative videos on Korean skincare and makeup in both English and Korean, with her videos ranging from product reviews and recommendations to skincare tips and even Korean diet plans!
What really attracts viewers to her content would definitely have to be her personal skincare journey videos where she gets real on her highs and lows with acne, allowing her viewers to relate to her on a personal level.
Soo has definitely come a long way, where she has now launched her own Korean vegan-friendly skincare brand, Soo Good Beauty (@soogoodbeauty).
Soo’s beauty tip
Want to achieve flawless-looking “glass skin”? Soo recommends using lightweight skincare products that you can layer with other products – this way, you won’t suffocate your skin. In fact, it’s a method that many Korean makeup and salons in Korea often use.
Liah Yoo (@liahyoo)
The person behind popular skincare brand Krave Beauty, Liah is a beauty blogger turned entrepreneur. While she has been busy with her brand, the YouTuber has not stopped posting content on her channel to share skincare tips and updates on her life as well as Krave Beauty’s latest launches.
Korea might be known for its 10-step skincare routine but Liah believes in the opposite. Her viewers often tell her that they’re confused and lost when it comes to extensive skincare routines, which led her to start Krave Beauty. The brand aims to create simple and easy products that fit seamlessly into anyone’s regimen.
Liah’s beauty tip
Are you always piling on concealer and foundation to cover up scars and hyperpigmentation on your face? Well, that’s what Liah used to do on her super-congested acne-prone skin.
It was only when she started to cut back on the layers, switching from high coverage to low coverage, and now no coverage. She now occasionally uses a concealer, and she has seen a drastic difference in her skin.
She mentioned in an interview with Glamour that this is just a vicious cycle of trying to cover up your acne, not allowing it to breathe and heal, which is why she strongly encourages those with acne-prone skin to go easy on heavier cosmetics.
Elisa (@sokobeauty)
Based in the Netherlands, Elisa she posts gorgeous product flatlays and informational videos on Instagram where she talks about the latest trends, shares product reviews, updates us on the newest launches, and much more – great for those who prefer watching shorter, more concise videos.
As a beauty blogger for nearly a decade, Elise also started Dot Dot Skin, an online store where she brings in all her K-beauty favourites, making it easy for those in Europe to get their hands on the products.
Elisa’s beauty tip
One of her favourite beauty tools has got to be the gua sha, which she uses to massage her face to stimulate blood circulation, which helps her face appear less puffy in the morning! She also uses the tool to massage her neck whenever she feels tension.
Related read: This step-by step gua sha guide shows us how to tackle nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and eyebags
Coco Park (@thebeautywolf)
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Co-author of the book Korean Beauty Secrets and host of the Triplebees podcast, Coco Park, is definitely not new to the whole concept of K-beauty.
How did Coco get interested in K-beauty? Well, it’s a pretty wholesome story. Her husband is Korean-American and whenever she visited his home, she was intrigued by all the different sizes of skincare bottles on her mother-in-law’s beauty shelf, which then sparked her interest in K-beauty.
Coco’s beauty tip
Some of her mainstays in her skincare routine include the Benton Snail Bee High Content Steam Cream, which she mixes with a few drops of rosehip oil and puts on a thick layer whenever her skin gets really parched or irritated – much like a sleeping pack.
And some of her current favourites? Sum:37’s Waterfall Gel Cream, Hanyul White Chrysanthemum Powder Serum, and her favourite go-to – the Missha First Treatment Essence.
Charlotte Cho (@charlottejcho)
Love the 10-step skincare routine? You’ll have to thank this lady for sharing the well-kept K-beauty secret with the rest of the world. She’s written her own book on K-beauty and started her own company, Soko Glam.
Born and raised in California, Charlotte then travelled the globe to Korea, where she learned the secrets to Korean women’s glowing skin. Now, she even has her own skincare brand called Then I Met You.
Charlotte’s skincare tip
Charlotte believes it’s not about having plenty of products in your regimen that might not even be working for you. Instead, make sure to find the right products for your skin type, and use them correctly and in the right order.
Claudia Christin (@funskincare)
Born and raised in Indonesia, Claudia, a medically trained dermatologist and brand consultant, first found interest in Korean skincare when she started experiencing bad breakouts back in school.
Being affordable and easy to find, Korean skincare was her only option to help her skin back then. But it was only in 2017 when she moved to South Korea that she felt the strong urge to share about the goodness of K-beauty on social media, with honest product reviews as well as her own skincare regimen and tips.
Claudia’s beauty tips
Here are her top six tips to get you on the road to clear and glowing skin, beyond just your skincare products:
- Protecting your skin from the sun
- Limit your sugar intake
- Avoid touching your face too often
- Manage your stress (yes, easier said than done, we know!)
- Get enough beauty sleep
- Last but not least, stay hydrated for it to show both on the inside and outside
Beauty Within (@beautywithin)
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You would probably recognise Rowena Tsai from her many productivity videos on her personal YouTube channel. But did you know that she is also a co-host of a beauty talk show, Beauty Within?
Working with fellow beauty fanatic, Felicia Lee, the duo hopes to provide easy-to-understand information on all things skincare, beauty, and wellness. Occasionally, the show also sees industry leaders and experts who share their professional knowledge with the community!
What’s cool is that both the hosts have very different skin types, which makes their reviews and skincare tips worth the watch.
Jude Chao (@fiddysnails)
With skin looking so young and bouncy, you definitely can’t tell that this American-Taiwanese author and beauty blogger is 41 years old! There are many reasons why she is a huge fan of K-beauty.
First, the endless customisability it offers. Skincare isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept and the good thing about Korean skincare is that you know you’ll be spoilt with choices. Whether you have oily skin, dry skin, or sensitive skin, you will definitely be able to find a serum, moisturiser, or sunscreen that suit your skin type best.
Head on to her blog, Fifty Shades of Snail, or Instagram page, to find out more about her skincare routine, tips, and product reviews. Not only that, she also often talks about wellness and mental health on her blog!
Jude’s beauty tip
As a strong believer in building a customised skincare routine tailored to your skin type, Jude suggests thinking about what change you want to see in your skin before sourcing for any products. So set your goals, figure out your skin type, and think about what gaps you need to fill in your routine.
Are you getting sufficient nutrients and sleep? Are you doing research to find the right products? Once you’ve figured everything out, you can then slowly but surely create the perfect skincare routine. It’s all about the process – after all, skincare should be fun!
Erna Limdaugh (@erna_limdaugh)
Erna is an Indonesia-born, Korea-based lifestyle and beauty vlogger who has been in the industry for 10 years now, so you can definitely count her as one of the OGs in the K-beauty YouTube community!
She posts daily lifestyle vlogs, skincare routines, product reviews, and many more. Not only that, but she also often vlogs her facial sessions, which helps give viewers an insight on what facial processes are like in Korea, as well as the costs and their effectiveness.
Jeniffer Harn (@meejmuse)
Jeniffer is an Australian-Korean beauty and lifestyle YouTuber who may not be a new face to many, having appeared on various TV channels such as TLC, TvN, and Arirang TV.
Having experimented with Western makeup since young, she always felt that the products and style didn’t suit her, which subsequently led her to discover K-beauty skincare and makeup. Fast forward to years later, and Jeniffer has launched her very own makeup brush line that caters to Asian facial features.
Jeniffer’s beauty tip
Here’s her tip for all you beauty enthusiasts out there who want to achieve glowy skin and healthy hair! It’s something that is pretty much common sense but hard to achieve: eating and sleeping well. When you lack proper nutrients and sufficient sleep, it will start showing in your skin, hair, and, nails.
She also mentioned that we shouldn’t be afraid of consuming foods with good fats and oil as these are also ingredients that are integral for our body. Additionally, it is also good to take supplements and vitamins, especially if you are one who lives a very hectic lifestyle.
Edward Avila (@edweird0)
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Another OG in the K-beauty YouTube community, Edward is someone you would probably recognise from his skincare review videos, makeup tutorials, and more.
Most recently, the YouTuber has also been putting up content with celebrities, such as exclusive interviews and makeup videos with K-pop idols like CLC’s Sorn, and K-pop girl group, DIA. He’s also just launched his own beauty brand, CIELO Beauty.
Edward’s beauty tip
Edward once faced a major breakout when he adopted the 7-skin method, which involves applying seven layers of toner on your face for better hydration. However, it can dehydrate your skin instead.
His skin did get better after ditching this skincare method and sticking to a cleanser and moisturising cream. Popular skincare methods might not work for some, so always make sure to monitor your skin after trying out something new in your routine. Sometimes less is more!
Renée (@gothamista)
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Since she posted her first video on YouTube in 2015, Renée has grown into a big name as a beauty YouTuber. Armed with a decade of experience working in the product development sector for various skin and body care brands, she definitely knows all things beauty.
Why a particular obsession with K-beauty? Renée finds Korean brands so innovative, always coming up with new products with luxurious yet efficacious ingredients. Plus, they’re sometimes dressed in cute packaging.
Renée beauty tip
Her top skincare tip? It’s simple – make sure you don’t drag or pull your skin!
