KOREAN BEAUTY:

DO YOU MAKE THE CUT?

*Before I delve too deeply into this subject, I want to make sure everyone is aware that this is my perspective and my opinion, and it is not meant to be offensive (though you are free to take it how you will). Also try to keep in mind many of the things discussed are cultural and so are not necessarily "right" or "wrong," they're just different.


Asians, especially women, are stereotyped in the West as exotic and drop dead gorgeous. There is a reason for this stereotype which I will be exploring throughout this post.

In the western world, we've had a wave of "beauty comes from within" movements that have steered our society towards what one might call a more non-judgmental approach to beauty. While there are general physical features that most find attractive, westerners, on the whole, will take into account personality, experiences/accomplishments, education, etc. when judging a person (as illustrated in the quote I used above). In the East, however, this wave hasn't quite caught on. In Korea (I'll steer clear of the other Asian countries seeing as I haven't lived there or experienced much of their culture for myself), it is more than common to judge someone based on looks alone. That's not to say you won't have any friends, or you'll be shunned as an outcast if you're overweight, have an overly large nose, or a few small, unwanted volcanoes dotting your skin. One of the most common things I personally hear from kids and even some adults in Korea is generally something to the effect of "You need to lose some weight" and sometimes they just lay it all out with "You're fat." This isn't to be taken as an insult. In Korea, it is quite common for physical flaws to be pointed out and it is generally accepted that the person pointing them out is trying to help by making you aware of your flaws so you can then proceed to go get them fixed in order to become a more beautiful individual. This was one of those cultural quirks I had to get used to.

This focus on the physical is not just the women, but the men as well. Many Asian men have a reputation of femininity and on a whole, inferiority (in the physical sense) compared to Western men. From living in Korea, I've determined this is most likely because of this concern over physical appearance. Korean men are very aware of fashion and most would be what we term metro-sexual (men who are not necessarily gay or overtly feminine, but who are more concerned about appearance and grooming than the average--I'd also insert Western--male). It is not uncommon to see styles such as these on the streets:

Also, It is not uncommon for men to have just as strict a skincare regiment as women, spending somewhere between $50-$200 on skincare products a month. Some men in Korea even go so far as to use cosmetics like BB cream (I can hear the shocked gasps from all the way across the ocean). In Korea, this is not considered odd or even feminine. Men take as good care of themselves as women do.

This then begs the question, why are these men and women so obsessive over their appearance? One of the first reasons is probably because while education is deemed of vital importance to succeed in the world of careers, so is beauty. It is believed you are far more likely to find a good job and progress in that job if you have a certain level of beauty  (I wonder if any studies have been done on this in Korea). The second most prominent reason is the pressure put on young adults to marry fairly young (preferably in their 20's, especially for women), and to find a successful, attractive mate. And of course, to attract such a person, you must be attractive and successful yourself, which means you must be beautiful.

I wanted to break down a few of the characteristics Koreans view as most attractive (or at least the ones I've noticed since I've been in Korea).

1. Youthful, blemish free skin

Because of this beauty trend, Korea is far ahead of the rest of the world in skincare and cosmetic development. All you have to do is walk down a street in Korea to see how dedicated Koreans are to their skincare. Some of the top brands include:

There are dozens, if not hundreds of other Korean brands, but these are the ones you see most often. In my neighborhood (probably in a four block radius) there are at least two Nature Republics, one Face Shop, two Innisfrees, one Etude House, and one Skinfood. You never have to travel far outside your door to find good skincare. Another great thing about Korean skincare products are how relatively cheap they are compared to their western counterparts. Then why are they spending so darn much each month, you ask? Well, let's continue on to the next part to find the reason.

Most Koreans have a very strict skincare regiment including multiple products. I'll show you an example of a fairly common skincare routine so you can get a general idea of how much effort Koreans put into their skin.

1. Cleanser to remove make-up and other build up from the day.

2. Use a second cleanser (usually a cream cleanser) to clean any remaining residue.

3. Exfoliate to remove any dead skin.

4. Toner to keep your skin tight and youthful.

5. Sheet mask (at night) for calming the skin.

6. Essence to balance skin pH level.

7. Eye cream to keep those bags at bay.

8. Serum to revitalize the skin.

9. Moisturizer to keep your skin nice and moist because nobody likes a desert for a face.

10. Oil (at night) to lock in the moisture.

11. SPF (day) so you don't have to worry about an ugly tan.

Some routines involve more steps and more products, so you see why Koreans are spending so much money each month.

I admit I love Korean skincare products (overall, Skinfood is my favorite brand, though I like some products from other brands as well). They are absolutely fantastic and they work (though you may have to wade through a few until you find your perfect fit)! But I'm certainly not as dedicated as a Korean. My skincare routine looks something more like this:

1. Cleanser to remove make-up (only at night)

2. Cream cleanser

3. Toner

4. Sheet mask (only at night and usually only 2-3 times a week)

5. Serum/Moisturizer

And that's just skincare. We haven't even gotten to make-up yet. I think I'll skip make-up in this post and save it for another time.

2. Large eyes and double eyelids

We're now starting to get into a more controversial topic: plastic surgery. In Korea, plastic surgery is not as controversial as it is in the West. I've heard stories about plastic surgery from friends who teach high school and adult level classes. One common story is the high-schooler who is promised double eyelid surgery as a graduation gift if they achieve certain grades. For anyone wondering what the heck a double eyelid is, here's an illustration of a before and after double eyelid surgery.

Koreans like a more Western style eye: large and with double eyelids. Some will have double eyelids naturally, but many who don't will resort to surgery.

3. V-shaped face

Koreans generally have oval shaped faces. It is becoming more and more popular to have the V-shaped face, meaning the chin comes to a point rather than being rounded in an oval shape. To get this look, you have to get your jaw bone shaved (doesn't really sound all that pleasant to me...).

4. Slim body 

I think all Westerners are pretty familiar with how naturally skinny most Asian women are (and most of us, including myself are a bit jealous). This body type is in part due to genetics and diet. The traditional Korean diet is filled with healthy vegetables and seafood. Only within the last couple decades has fast food started to become what we might call a problem in Korea. Because of this, the average weight of people in Korea is increasing, though on average they are still quite slim.

Most Koreans maintain their bodies by going to the gym multiple times a week and walking...A LOT. Koreans are almost as serious about their exercise as they are about their skincare. Gyms are packed and you see people out walking/jogging by the river until all hours of the morning. Hiking is also a favored hobby in Korea (there's even a special "uniform" all the ajummas and ahjussis wear).

I'm not joking in the slightest when I say you will
see hordes of older men and women wearing these
outfits on the subway as they make their way to
whatever mountain they've decided to climb that week.

This obsession with maintaining a slim/healthy body applies to both men and women. All those who believe Korean men to be physically inferior to their Western cousins have not spent much time in Korea. Korean men on the whole are slimmer than Western men, but they also have their beefy guys too (even if they aren't quite as common).

You've got your beefy gym rats...

...your overly large bodybuilders...

...and slim but toned athletes.

On the whole, I would say Korean men are far healthier and fit than most Western men, which we can attribute to the obsession with appearance in Korea.

Well, this has been quite the long post, so I think I'll go ahead and wrap it up even if I didn't cover everything (in fact, I hardly skimmed the surface). In some ways, I think this focus on outward beauty is a good thing. People are much more active and healthy in Korea than in many other parts of the world. But it also has some down sides one of the major and most obvious being self-esteem issues which can lead to depression.

If you have any questions or insights into the beauty culture of Korea, feel free to leave a comment!

I always find beauty

in things that are

odd & imperfect-

they are much more

interesting. 

-Marc Jacobs