These K-Beauty staple ingredients will help you achieve healthy and glowing skin

The reason why K-beauty has found its way into many people’s skincare routines is—it works. Korean brands have upped the standards for beauty with their ingredient-led innovative products that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. From curbing signs of ageing, reducing pigmentation, and flooding your skin with all the hydration it needs, K Beauty has changed our skin for good. 

Below, we get to know a few K-beauty staple ingredients and their role in getting us the healthy, glowing skin we’ve always wanted.

Snail mucin 

Merely thinking about applying snail mucin all over your face might trigger gag reflexes, but this slimy liquid is a powerhouse ingredient. Before we tell you how snail mucin benefits the skin, you should know that no snails are harmed in the making. When a snail moves, it leaves behind watery sludge which is harvested and used in skincare products. Snail mucin is a hydrating agent that locks in moisture, aids in producing collagen, helps get rid of dead skin cells and promotes regeneration. Now you see why the K-beauty industry is so obsessed with this ingredient.  

Centella Asiatica 

Also known as tiger grass (according to Korean folklore, tigers would heal their wounds by rolling around in this botanical), centella asiatica is a hard-working ingredient that deserves a spot in your skincare routine. The key active ingredient in this herb is madecassoside, an antioxidant that slows signs of ageing, soothes agitated skin, and heals scars and blemishes.  

Ginseng 

A short plant with fleshy roots, ginseng has been used in traditional medicine in East Asian countries for centuries. Rich in antioxidants, this dried root prevents skin cells from ageing, balances oil production, and reduces pigmentation by preventing excess melanin production. If you want to breathe life back into your dull skin, look for products with this ingredient. 

Birch juice 

The sap extracted from birch trees or birch juice does for your face what coconut water does for your body—it quenches thirst. This ingredient is brimming with nutrients and enzymes that work hard to keep your skin hydrated and calm. Birch juice balances the skin’s natural moisture barrier, detoxifies it and leaves behind a dewy glow.   

Fermented rice water 

For all those with oily skin, fermented rice water might just be the answer you’ve been searching for. Its brightening properties give skin a healthy glow and a mattified feel. It also controls sebum production, which eventually reduces acne.