Korean women ditch cosmetics to follow natural beauty trend

As a beauty-loving country, South Korea accounts for 3% of the world's cosmetics market. In 2017, statistics from the websiteKorea Heraldfound that most girls between the ages of 10 and 12 own an average of three beauty products. Korean women are famous for their multi-step skincare routine, applied twice a day, with about 10-12 types of cosmetics.

According toThe Atlantic, it is not uncommon in Korea for high school students to have plastic surgery to celebrate their graduation.

The Escape the Corset movement has spread in South Korea, encouraging women to abandon their overly elaborate skincare and makeup routines. Supporters of the movement also oppose "unattainable" beauty standards.

Instead of wearing lipstick and elaborately dyed hair, many Korean women now go bare-faced and dark-haired. Powder and lipstick are thrown in the trash or crushed. Korean women are ditching makeup to return to their true selves.

One woman who participated in Escape the Corset said she used to wear dresses in the winter, willing to brave the cold to look more feminine. She also owned 50 lipsticks. To free herself from beauty standards, she ditched all her cosmetics and changed her hair color from blonde to brown.

“I hate my ugly face,” another woman wrote on Instagram. She shared that she had been wearing makeup every day since middle school and had dropped out of school because her makeup wasn’t quite right. Now, the woman realizes she doesn’t have to focus so much on her appearance.

“I took off the mask that was ruining my life,” she wrote.

Along with the Escape the Corset movement, many Koreans are embracing the “Skin-Care Diet.” They believe that by eliminating most of your usual skincare products, you can figure out what your skin really needs and doesn’t need.

In general, the only skin care products you need are a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. All of which should be free of harmful ingredients.

To Trang