K-Beauty Finds a Home in Kenya! 

The cosmetics boom that has captured the world is here. Let’s delve into why K-Beauty has garnered such a cult following of devotees in the modern beauty space.

Hey Beauties!

Let’s start with the piping hot tea. The do’s, the don’ts, and the rapid rise of Korean beauty products.

Skincare has drastically changed within the past decade. We have gone from limited in-store options to a sudden, highly competitive online market with increasing affordability and access. In an era of micro-trends, buzzword ingredient lists, Instagram skincare fridges and 10-step routines. The cultural influence of K-Beauty continues to prove its ever-expanding influence, it’s easy to get overwhelmed!

K-Beauty 101: The Basics

If you’ve ever seen the goopy snail mucin trend online, pondered the pronunciation of hyaluronic acid, or considered the differences between a serum and an ampoule, you’ve probably had experiences with K-Beauty already.

A key proponent of K-Beauty is hydration and gentle exfoliation to reveal a glowing complexion. Gone are the days of harsh, gritty scrubs and stinging astringent toners. Seriously, stinging or burning is an immediate no-go and does not indicate a product is working, but rather your skin barrier is compromised. K-beauty has shown that gentle chemical exfoliants are a much better alternative for sloughing off pore-clogging dead skin cells to promote an even skin tone amongst other benefits. Before we can proceed any further, we all must agree to bin the culprit. Yes, I’m looking at you St. Ives Apricot Scrub.

K-Beauty has given way to cutting edge formulas that aim to balance science, technology, traditional remedies and botanicals for innovative, effective results. Note the rise of propolis, green tea, snail mucin and cica (centella asiatica) as superstar hydrators. Fermented formulas, AHA and BHA acids for exfoliation. You have endless choices and chances for flourishing, thriving skin.

Oh My, Oh Me. What About Acne?

One cannot start the skincare conversation without acknowledging one of the most pervasive skincare concerns: acne. The skin is our largest organ as such, it experiences fluctuations in our hormones, stress levels, environment, diet and reacts accordingly.

K-Beauty formulas for acne focus on hydration and active ingredients like salicylic acid to target acne causing bacteria at the cellular level. No pimple popping here. The focus is to reduce inflammation through ingredients instead of injuring the skin. Using effective spot treatments to target the cause at the root rather than the symptoms. K-Beauty has also popularized hydrocolloid pimple patches to draw out oil and other impurities. This soothing approach avoids permanent scarring and consequently hard-to-fade hyperpigmentation. The days of popping and picking are in the past.

At BYOB, our core philosophy is that everybody can be beautiful! If the multi-step routines and dozens of products seem daunting, that’s totally ok, we got you. That’s where our team comes in. A basic routine starts with a gentle cleanser, a hydrating serum, and a sunscreen in the day which can be swapped out with a plumping moisturizer at night. If you have any other skin care concerns, we’d be happy to recommend products and other customized care that targets individual concerns including acne, pigmentation, dryness or aging.