K-beauty

K-beauty (Korean: 케이뷰티; RR: Keibyuti) is an umbrella term for skincare products that are derived from South Korea.

Korean beauty first emerged in the West in 2011 with the launch of the BB cream, marketed as a multi-tasking skincare product that serves as a foundation, moisturizer and sunscreen.

Recently, natural ingredients beauty products have clinical research studies began evaluating their therapeutic potential and biological cutaneous effects.

[26] Korean beauty standards in the 21st century prize a youthful look and the appearance of moisture on the skin, which results in a preference for cremes over powders.

Products use ingredients ranging from more natural sources such as green tea leaves, orchid, soybean[28] to snail slime, morphing masks, bee venom (an anti-inflammatory "faux-tox" alleged to relax facial muscles), moisturizing starfish extract, and pig collagen.

[22] South Korea is the leader of the global beauty industry, it continues to advance; analysts expect K-Beauty to generate immense growth and expansion of Korean skincare brands to bring in high revenue.

[21] South Korea is also known for being the center for many skin care brand's research and development as well as a manufacturing and production hub.

[36] The majority of Koreans are found to be well-educated and informed about skin care and health, so many of the products developed by Korea are thoroughly regulated.

These natural cosmetics at the time added fragrance to the product which was often thought to reduce stress and fatigue, as stated in the Gyuhap Chongseo or Women's Encyclopedia.

[45] South Korea has become a destination for cosmetic tourism thanks to the popularity of K-beauty and the high quality of the country's doctors and healthcare system.

This movement was created by a small group of women that wanted to put a stop to existing beauty standards, as well as their long-accepted attitude towards plastic surgery and cosmetic.

[34] In common with most of the rest of the world, the value that South Koreans have placed on physical attractiveness can influence some young person's self-esteem and interpersonal and romantic relationships, for those who believe that they are not up to these standards.

In South Korea, in the past pressure for conformity against people who left the mainstream path used to be relatively intense as compared to fellow advanced, democratized countries.

Also, South Korea's growing cosmetic surgery industry has highlighted the attention its citizens and foreigners alike put on achieving defined standards of beauty.

[47] The fast emergence of good physical physique derives from new strategies among Korea's media industries in shaping consumer desires by foregrounding male sexuality.