Live Chat with K-Beauty Expert Alicia Yoon!

[sephoraadmin2]

This chat is now closed. Thank you for your participation! 

Ride the wave of K-Beauty products hitting the States. Visit this thread on October 14 from 12 to 1pm PDT to participate in our live Q&A with Alicia Yoon, founder of Peach & Lily. Ask her a beauty question—from the best trends to try to what makes an essence so special.

Be sure to click "Follow this thread" on the right side of this post to be notified via email when one of your questions is answered.

[AliciaYoon]

Hello!! Thank you for the note and the question! I'm a huge fan of snail cream, too! I would recommend using a great oil-based cleanser like the Tatcha Camelia Cleansing Oil, followed by a great water-based cleanser (Murad Clarifying Cleanser could be great for you). Use a toner next, then invest in a great essence. Personal fan of the May Coop Raw Sauce (love at first sight for me), which helps keep skin hydrated, which can help with overall skin balance, which could in turn, help with the bumps. I would then follow up with a great serum that is gentle but also very hydrating (a lot of the bumps could be due to the fact that you're not well hydrated or skin balance is off). Dr. Jart's Ceramidin line is also great because it helps to make your skin barrier stronger, which helps fight off bacteria (like acne) and also keeps moisture locked into skin better. And it's great that you're exfoliating weekly. Be sure to be using a gentle exfoliator that's not stripping skin or irritating it. Caolion's steaming pack could also help draw out impurities that might be worsening the bumps. Also, sheet masks are a great way to experiment with ingredients that might work well for you. A lot of thoughts that I'm trying to type out as fast as I can, so I hope that this was helpful! xx

http://www.sephora.com/pure-one-step-camellia-cleansing-oil-P392235?

http://www.sephora.com/clarifying-cleanser-P4016?skuId=654228

http://www.sephora.com/raw-sauce-P398843?

http://www.sephora.com/premium-hot-cool-pore-pack-duo-P399965?

[MarciaBrady]

Hello! I am wondering what specific products/ingredients I should be looking for to help combat wrinkling in the eye area in general and drooping of the lid in particular.

Thanks for any insights you can provide!

[AliciaYoon]

Hello! I'm a personal fan of the Shisedio Benefiance Wrinkle Resist Eye Contour Cream. Remember to dab on gently and all around the eyes, not just under the eyes. Hope that this helps! xx

http://www.sephora.com/benefiance-wrinkleresist24-intensive-eye-contour-cream-P173620?skuId=1408202

[MarciaBrady]

Thank you!

[allcluedin]

Also! Would love to know: what’s the first piece of skincare advice you remember learning, and do you still adhere to it?

[AliciaYoon]

Hi there! Love this question. It was...don't tug at your skin!  I have early memories of my mom telling me to treat my skin with respect since it's the only one you get for your whole life. Harsh pulling or rubbing to remove makeup or even to rub itchy eyes (I grew up with seasonal allergies) was something I was always told not to do because it can irritate skin or even cause skin to weaken and sag prematurely. I still adhere to this, and I'm glad I listened (as much as I could)! xx

[allcluedin]

Hi Alicia! What Korean beauty trends would you like to see catch on in the US?

[AliciaYoon]

Hi there! What a fun question. Rather than a specific trend, I think it would be great to see the Korean philosophy as a whole really catch on in the US. The Korean beauty philosophy is all about knowing your skin and its needs intimately, and embracing proper skin care as part of a well-rounded approach to your personal health. It's all about personalization. The number of steps is not as relevant as knowing what ingredients and care your skin responds best to. And all of this doesn't need to be a chore, but a soothing routine. Growing up, I always saw skincare as pretty ritualistic. For me, it serves as my peacetime each morning and evening.

If I did have to pick one product category as a trend that I'm currently obsessed with that I'd love to see more people using Stateside, I would say spa-grade rubber or modeling masks! It's a little addicting with the dramatic and instant results in how hydrated, plump, and radiant the skin looks afterwards. xx

[boobooooo]

Hi Alicia, would love to know your thoughts on the use of bee venom and the potential benefits of using it in skincare products. Thank you!

[greenporchlights]

Hi, Alicia-- excited to have you join us on BT! I see a lot of questions about skincare (of course!), but what K-Beauty makeup trends do you love and recommend for women of all ages?

[AliciaYoon]

Hi there! Thanks for the question. I personally love the no-makeup-makeup look that's been trending in Korea for some time now. It's a classic look and great for women of all ages. To get this look, it does start with skincare and really achieving the healthiest skin you can. Cushion compacts like the ones from Amore Pacific can help achieve that look, too. With just a few dabs, you're glowing. Everything else can be pretty minimal. No smoky eyes, not a ton of eyeliner. Some light mascara and clean tightlining. Then, a dab of cushion blusher - looks more like a flush than a powdery blush look. And, if you really wanted to finish it off with a very Korean-makeup-trend look, try doing a gradient lip. You do a pop of color in the center of the lip and it fades out towards the end. Looks very fresh and sweet. I think you can maybe achieve that look with the Beauty Bite Mix and Mingle! xx

http://www.sephora.com/color-control-cushion-compact-broad-spectrum-spf-50-P378121?

http://www.sephora.com/bite-beauty-bite-mix-mingle-P403441?

[greenporchlights]

Thank you! 🙂

[liz089]

I am very new to K-Beauty and really want to try new products what do you recommend for acne prone/ combination skin ?! 

[MakeYourselfUp]

I'm also curious about ingredients in Korean skincare --- like snail mucin! Any other weird ones that you swear by, and would encourage us Americans to try? 

[AliciaYoon]

Hi there! Thanks for the question. Starfish extract is also a great ingredient that people are loving for the way it hydrates and plumps skin. It's also very lightweight in texture and highly absorbent. Definitely worth trying out. 🙂 xx

[spedteacher74]

Hi Alicia!  I have a routine of sorts for skin care, but it varies day to day on my motivation, having some staple steps and products. If there were one or two steps in the Korean skincare routine that simply cannot be left out of anyone's skin care routine, what would they be?  The double cleanse?  Essences?

[AliciaYoon]

Hello there! It's great to see that you have a skincare routine -- sticking to it can be tough, but great that you at least have one! 😉 Keeping skin very clean without stripping it dry in the process, keeping skin sufficiently hydrated, and protecting the skin from sun damage would be three pillars to stand by. To cleanse without drying skin out, I would recommend double cleansing as it's very gentle. Tatcha's Camelia Cleansing Oil is so lovely and gentle, but gets skin super clean (with this one, I've heard that some people don't even feel the need to follow-up with a water-based cleanser) without stripping it dry. To keep skin well hydrated, essences really do go a long way. The May Coop Raw Sauce works wonder. And to keep skin fighting off free radicals, I always recommend the combo of SPF and antioxidants. SPF can invariably be a bit leaky, but antioxidants will fight off whatever the SPF couldn't "keep out." Boscia Self Defense Vital Antioxidant Moisture SPF 30 conveniently has both SPF and antioxidants. Hope that this is helpful!! xx

http://www.sephora.com/pure-one-step-camellia-cleansing-oil-P392235?

http://www.sephora.com/raw-sauce-P398843?

http://www.sephora.com/self-defense-vital-antioxidant-moisture-spf-30-P377650?

[sravanthi]

Hi Alicia,

Recently I started using Korean products and I love them totally, do u suggest any product for combination- dry skin with severe dry patches?

Can you suggest me Best Korean Skin care routine, I have combination- dry skin, major concerns are dry patches, pigmentation around mouth and dark circles, my age is 28.

Thank U so much

[texasblondie]

Hi Alicia,  I have heard great things about ginseng, snail slime, and chia seed K-beauty skin-care products.  What are the benefits of some of these very unique ingredients?

[AliciaYoon]

Hello! Thanks for the question. I can talk days about snail slime! I feel that people have talked about snail mucin enough in the US to the point where maybe it's not even that unique or unusual anymore, which is great. I think everyone should give snail mucin a try -- it's one of my favorite skincare ingredients for so many reasons. It's proven to hydrate and firm skin, and helps with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It's also known to have anti-microbial properties, so it can help keep acne and inflammation at bay. Plus, there's regenerative properties and many have noted that it has done wonders for hyperpigmentation. To boot, the texture is amazing. So lightweight and all these benefits without the heavy or greasiness. AND makeup builds well over it. As for ginseng, it's been a health supplement in Korea for centuries. When applied to skin, there are studies that show it can help with inflammation and also collagen production. Also, a great skincare hero ingredient! And last but not least, chia seed can also help with inflammation, can diminish redness, is very hydrating and helps fight off free radical damage through healthful ingredients like vitamin E. Hope that this answers your question! xx

[texasblondie]

Thank you so much!!!