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If you want a crystal ball into next year’s popular American beauty trends, look to the South Korean beauty industry. BB creams first launched in Korea several years ago before inundating the U.S. market and inspiring American beauty brands to spawn their own. Korea’s next big advancement, the cushion compact, appeared two years ago, and this year, American beauty companies like Lancôme, L’Oréal Paris, M.A.C Cosmetics, and Clinique have all moved to launch their own versions. And Korea’s influence shows no sign of waning.
To find out what to expect next in Korean beauty (and, several years later, American beauty), the Cut talked to Alicia Yoon, CEO and co-founder of Korean beauty site Peach and Lily and a licensed aesthetician in Korea and the United States. Yoon told us in her own words about what’s trending in Korean beauty.
Everyone wants to get more natural: “There is a watchdog app called HwaHea that everyone is using. It’s Yelp meets EWG meets Skin Deep meets Makeup Alley. You put in a brand and SKU and the ingredient list will populate. It will flag toxins, carcinogen levels, and reviews of the product. Many brands say, ‘This is great for sensitive skin.’ But this app has added an extra layer of watchdog-ness because someone can look at it and say, ‘How can it be for sensitive skin when there is a trace amount of synthetic fragrance?’”
